Rx for Equality: The Health Care Disparity Dilemma
A Special Evening of Programming on NJN
Thursday, June 15 at 9 pm

Statewide – Ethnic disparities in health care has become a major topic of concern in this country. On Wednesday, June 15, NJN will explore in depth the controversial issues surrounding this topic in a special evening of programming hosted by Raymond Brown from NJN’s Due Process entitled Rx for Equality: The Health Care Disparity Dilemma. Due Process, Images/Imagenes and Another View, NJN’s regular program, each devote a half hour and focus on health disparities through their individual perspectives: legalities and the disparity in treatment for Hispanics, African-Americans and other minority groups.

9 pm Due Process – Health Care Disparity: Legal Remedy
Rebroadcast Sunday, June 18 at 9:30 am and 6:30 pm; Tuesday, June 20 at 11:30 pm
Due Process explores the legal issues that arise from the disparities in resources and treatment available to New Jersey’s minority communities. The national debate over how we spend our health dollars – and for whom – is underway in New Jersey as well, and not just in the world of healthcare. Legal voices – from civil rights and Legal Services lawyers to children’s and immigrants’ advocates – are raised in demand for greater parity. Due Process opens with an in-depth mini-documentary produced by managing editor Sandra King, followed by host Raymond Brown’s in-studio discussion with some of the state’s most knowledgeable legal scholars.

9:30 pm Images/Imagenes – Health Care: Crossing Boundaries/Eliminating Fear
Rebroadcast: Thursday June 29 at 6:30 pm; Sunday, July 2 at 8 am
This Images/Imagenes program provides quality healthcare information for medical professionals seeking to communicate more effectively with Latino families and children. Among the topics to be discussed are the keys to reaching the Latino patient, understanding cultural belief systems and why many Latino children do not receive proper preventive care and immunizations.

Incidents of fear and misunderstanding are examined and how they can be reduced by providing culturally knowledgeable interpreters, recruiting minorities to work in healthcare settings, and raising awareness among healthcare workers. With video from an international Latino health conference held in Los Angeles, CA, on September 21, 2005, the program captures the global urgency of finding solutions to disparities in healthcare. One thousand international mental health experts from the Caribbean, South America and the United States gathered at this event and provide inspiring advice.

10 pm Another View – Race and Medicine
Rebroadcasts: Tuesday, June 20 at 6:30 pm; Friday, June 23 at 11:30 pm
Another View looks at the role of race in medicine and highlights efforts to address disparities in healthcare. This special explores some of the complex issues related to health disparities and their impact on the African American community. In March 2005, New Jersey enacted a law that all its physicians receive training in cultural competency. Another View takes a look at the concept of cultural competency and its effectiveness in dealing with health disparities. In addition, Another View visits area clinics that are serving urban populations and meets physicians and patients who come face to face with the hard realities of health disparities. Guests include Dr. Robert Johnson, Interim Dean of the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark, Walter Isaacs, Chief Executive Officer, Henry J. Austin Health Center in Trenton, among others.