AAE will be hosting our annual conference in Chattanooga, TN this August and I would love to invite you and your students to attend a special HBCU forum we will be hosting on the evening of August 6th. The focus of this forum is to listen to current medical, respiratory, nursing, and pharmacy students provide feedback on their interest or consideration of a career that would include asthma, asthma education, or public health as a focus. Please contact me if you'd like to talk more about this initiative! Light hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be served.
Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States, especially in children. It is one of the leading causes of death and disability and disproportionately impacts our African American/Black and Hispanic communities.Yet: - Approximately 5% of active physicians are black (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2018) - Approximately 7% of nurse practitioners are black (zippia.com) - Approximately 12% of registered nurses are black (zippia.com) - Approximately 12% of respiratory therapists are black - Approximately 5% of pharmacists are black (American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, 2019)
These numbers are even lower for Black healthcare professionals who specialize in pulmonary disease and allergy/immunology. What does that mean? Like many chronic diseases, this means that many of our community members are being treated by practitioners who do not look like us for a condition that primarily impacts us. I, along with the AAE, would love to get feedback from your students on their choice of specialty, if they ever considered working in pulmonology or allergy, and why.
Ezinne Chinemere, MHS, CHES, AE-C
AAE Board Member and Advocacy Champion
Founder & CEO
Kezi Health, LLC
Baltimore, Maryland
Email: kezihealth@gmail.com
Cell: 443-902-8328