In honor of Black History Month, AFMC is looking at some of Arkansas’ Black health care leaders. Today, we’re talking about Napoleon Bonaparte Houser, one of the most prominent Black physicians in the Delta region. His legacy, which started in the early 1900s, involved practicing medicine in the rural town of Helena, Arkansas, where he later opened up a drug store and supported local non-profits. Napoleon Houser fathered a legacy of providing health care services to the Black community, and his efforts paved the way for many Black-led organizations in the Delta region.

One of the recent episodes of AFMC TV covers the basics of heart disease. Today’s blog dives deeper and focuses on women’s cardiovascular health. In honor of national heart month, we’re looking at the differences in cardiovascular disease (the number one killer of women) and some resources providers can use to educate their patients and get involved.

Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs) were created in 2011 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as a way for providers to focus on preventive care for patients. While these services are free to Medicaid beneficiaries, some patients may feel that AWVs are a waste of time. However, if done correctly, these visits can create valuable relationships between providers and patients, build trust, and lay out a roadmap for future screenings and referrals. Michael Cash, Senior Medical Practice Consultant with SVMIC, met with me to discuss more benefits, challenges, and important keys to successfully implementing AWVs into practice.

One of AFMC’s recent blog posts, “Relying on A.I. Applications in the Medical Community,” discusses some of the main uses of artificial intelligence in medicine. While A.I. is pivotal to innovation, efficiency, and practice in the health care industry, the focus must remain on the patient, not the provider. Patients have begun taking charge of their health care decisions. While patients in rural areas still struggle to access health care, technological advancements have helped bridge that gap. Patients now have more control over their health care journey than before. Thus, it’s important that providers stay on top of recent trends in health care technology to remain ahead of the game.

Reproductive health is often separated from primary care. Most people visit stand-alone clinics to meet their reproductive health needs. When Roe v. Wade was overturned in June, an access crisis was created. Abortion services are now entirely unavailable in 14 states, eliminating access not only to abortion services but also to other services that these clinics used to provide: cancer screenings, maternity care, and childcare. Though some clinics still offer reproductive health services, an influx of persons from other states where clinics closed down has caused extended wait times and staff shortages. Perhaps the first step toward widespread access to quality reproductive health care would be through its integration into primary care settings.

January is cervical cancer awareness month. While the number of TDAP and meningococcal vaccinations have increased in recent years due to schools requiring children to get them before enrollment, the number of HPV vaccines is still low. Children are not getting their HPV vaccines. This year, state and national health care leaders are implementing new screening methods to increase the number of children vaccinated for HPV. One such leader, ImmunizeAR has worked to encourage providers to promote the HPV vaccine. Heather Mercer, the Executive Director of ImmunizeAR, knows first-hand the importance of this vaccine in preventing cervical cancer.