Trends in Cancer Mortality among Black Individuals
A Major study showed that despite declining cancer death rates, Black people still died of cancer at higher rates than any other racial group In 2019.
May 19, 2022
GastroCares is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization founded by physician specialists in Gastroenterology with the goal of increasing diversity and inclusion in the medical field through exposure and education. GastroCares seeks to ameliorate existent disparities in health care delivery by developing and supporting programs that enhance access to quality gastroenterology based medical care for underserved communities.
While African American and LatinX individuals represent 13% and 18% of the U. S. Population respectively, they are dramatically under-represented as providers within the healthcare system in general, and gastroenterology in particular. With only 4% of practicing gastroenterologists identifying as African American and only 5% identifying as LatinX, in the absence of meaningful change, the field of gastroenterology will struggle to provide effective, equitable, and culturally conscious care to a growing population in need of it. To address this critical deficit in the diversity of providers, GastroCares seeks to inspire motivated individuals to pursue careers in medicine through early exposure to physician role models, mentors, and hands-on experiences.
In pursuit of our mission, GastroCares has developed several cornerstone projects geared towards high school and college students. This includes a partnership with high schools in Washington DC comprised of predominantly African American and LatinX students.
GastroCares realizes early exposure in high school allows for students to set a solid foundation in preparation for a career in medicine.
Through this program, students are inspired to consider medical careers through hands-on experiences with endoscopic equipment and , microscope utilization, and didactic sessions with physicians who serve as tangible and positive role models.
By virtue of this, students develop a concept that a career in medicine is attainable.
GastroCares realizes early exposure in high school allows for students to set a solid foundation in preparation for a career in medicine.
Through this program, students are inspired to consider medical careers through hands-on experiences with endoscopic equipment and , microscope utilization, and didactic sessions with physicians who serve as tangible and positive role models.
By virtue of this, students develop a concept that a career in medicine is attainable.
GastroCares has developed an intensive summer internship & mentorship program in partnership with Capital Digestive Care for African American college students.
Students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) participate in this program and receive a stipend, in addition to travel and housing expenses. The curriculum for these weeks includes exposure to an extensive range of experiences that comprise the essential elements of a Gastroenterology practice, including colon cancer screening, management of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, esophageal, upper intestinal, and liver disorders.
This includes daily exposure to patients, observing medical procedures, engagement with anesthesia providers, working alongside pathologists, meeting with medicine business professionals, completing educational materials and participating in presentations. Critical to this experience is a concomitant mentorship program.
During the initial summer program, students are paired with a mentor.
This relationship serves as the foundation for an ongoing mentorship program for the ensuing 6 months.
GastroCares has developed an intensive summer internship program in partnership with Capital Digestive Care for African American college students.
Students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) participate in this program and receive a stipend, in addition to travel and housing expenses. The curriculum for these weeks includes exposure to an extensive range of experiences that comprise the essential elements of a Gastroenterology practice, including colon cancer screening, management of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, esophageal, upper intestinal, and liver disorders.
This includes daily exposure to patients, observing medical procedures, engagement with anesthesia providers, working alongside pathologists, meeting with medicine business professionals, completing educational materials and participating in presentations. Critical to this experience is a concomitant mentorship program.
During the initial summer program, students are paired with a mentor.
This relationship serves as the foundation for an ongoing mentorship program for the ensuing 6 months.
GastroCares is committed to improving access to quality health care for racial and ethnic minorities who face greater barriers to care and receive lower quality healthcare than the general population. By supporting the expansion of these and other programs, in addition to fostering education in underrepresented minority groups, GastroCares plans to bridge the gap in minority representation in medicine and in access to healthcare for underserved minorities and mitigate a major driver of health disparity.
GastroCares is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization founded by physician specialists in Gastroenterology with the goal of increasing diversity and inclusion in the medical field through exposure and education. Additionally, GastroCares seeks to ameliorate existent disparities in health care delivery by developing and supporting programs that enhance access to quality gastroenterology based medical care for underserved communities.
While African American and LatinX individuals represent 13% and 18% of the U. S. Population respectively, they are dramatically under-represented as providers within the healthcare system in general, and gastroenterology in particular. With only 4% of practicing gastroenterologists identifying as African American and only 5% identifying as LatinX, in the absence of meaningful change, the field of gastroenterology will struggle to provide effective, equitable, and culturally conscious care to a growing population in need of it. To address this critical deficit in the diversity of providers, GastroCares seeks to inspire motivated individuals to pursue careers in medicine through early exposure to physician role models, mentors, and hands-on experiences.
In pursuit of our mission, GastroCares has developed several cornerstone projects geared towards high school and college students. This includes a partnership with high schools in Washington DC comprised of predominantly African American and LatinX students. Early exposure in high school allows for students to set a solid foundation in preparation for a career in medicine. Through this program, students are inspired to consider medical careers through hands-on experiences and didactic sessions with physicians who serve as tangible and positive role models. By virtue of this, students develop a concept that a career in medicine is attainable.
As well, GastroCares has developed an intensive summer internship program in partnership with Capital Digestive Care for African American college students. Students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) participate in this program and receive a stipend,in addition to travel and housing expenses. The curriculum for these weeks includes exposure to an extensive range of experiences that comprise the essential elements of a Gastroenterology practice, including colon cancer screening, management of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, esophageal, upper intestinal, and liver disorders. This includes daily exposure to patients, observing medical procedures, engagement with anesthesia providers, working alongside pathologists, meeting with medicine business professionals, completing educational materials and participating in presentations. Critical to this experience is a concomitant mentorship program. During the initial summer program, students are paired with a mentor. This relationship serves as the foundation for an ongoing mentorship program for the ensuing 6 months.
GastroCares is committed to improving access to quality health care for racial and ethnic minorities that face greater barriers to care and receive lower quality healthcare than the general population. Compared to other populations, African Americans have a 20% higher risk of developing colon cancer and a 40% higher risk of dying from it. The colon cancer screening rates among LatinX are 24% less than the general population.
Access to care is limited by multiple factors including lack of awareness, insufficient insurance coverage, employment at jobs where time off to seek healthcare is uncompensated, and lower rates of referral by primary physicians. GastroCares' physician partners, Capital Digestive Care, educates minority communities regarding colon cancer prevention through barbershop and beauty shop outreach, partnering with predominantly African American churches, and through programming at radio stations with a predominantly minority audience. In order to facilitate access to care for minorities, Capital Digestive Care has offered screening colonoscopies to African Americans on a Saturday, with no cost to uninsured individuals.
By supporting the expansion of these and other programs, in addition to fostering education in underserved minority groups, GastroCares plans to bridge the gap in minority representation in medicine and in access to healthcare for underserved minorities and mitigate a major driver of health disparity.
Through this program, students are inspired to consider medical careers through hands-on experiences and didactic sessions with physicians who serve as tangible and positive role models. By virtue of this, students develop a concept that a career in medicine is attainable.
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Complete the contact form or email us at:
sponsors@gastrocares.org
Special Thanks to:
Pentax Medical, Ardelyx and Praveen Suthrum
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Complete the contact form or email us at:
sponsors@gastrocares.org
Gastrointestinal News, Events, and Press Releases from GastroCares
A Major study showed that despite declining cancer death rates, Black people still died of cancer at higher rates than any other racial group In 2019.
