Miguel Escalon, MD

“Disparities in Health Care for Black Patients in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in the United States,” was the subject of a wide-ranging talk on Disability Awareness by Miguel Escalon, MD, Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The virtual talk can be viewed here.

Black Americans aged 30 to 64 have a higher stroke mortality compared with all other groups, and also the  highest incidence of hypertension, diabetes, and peripheral artery disease, all strong risk factors for stroke, Dr. Escalon said. There also are disparities in rehabilitation care of such patients after a stroke, he said, citing a survey of research from 2009 to 2019, which he and a team published in October 2020 in  PM&R: the Journal of Injury, Function and Rehabilitation.

The talk in October inaugurated the new Raising Disability Awareness Virtual Talk Series, featuring speakers from around the Mount Sinai Health System as well as the community, in honor of Disability Awareness Month. During this time, Mount Sinai hosted events to educate, raise awareness and promote an inclusive and equitable health care environment for people with disabilities.

Speakers also came from Mount Sinai’s Seaver Center for Autism Research and Treatment, and Language Assistance Program, and from external partners, including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, MTA NYC Transit Access-A-Ride, the Lighthouse Guild, the Hearing Loss Association of America, the Adaptations Job Program, and the LBGTQ+ community. The talks were curated to bring awareness to the intersectionality of disability and race, ethnicity, and LBGTQ+ and educate on health disparities and the barriers to access to care.

Health disparities have been found for Black people with stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, hip/knee osteoarthritis, and fractures, as well as cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, Dr. Escalon said. Some contributing factors included socio-economic issues, low access to rehabilitation care, fewer referrals, lower utilization rates, perceived bias, and more self‐reliance.

Some sources also found that disparities are evident in the crucial months just after a stroke. “Most recovery happens in the first few months. You are never going to get more rehab than you get in acute inpatient rehab.”  Dr. Escalon said, adding the more study is needed to identify and address health disparities.

“It is important for health care professionals to understand the health risks within Black communities,” he said. “More research is needed to elucidate the outcomes—by race/ethnicity, gender, and gender within race/ethnicity—especially around what happens after the patient leaves the hospital.”

For projects that informed, engaged, and uplifted the community, the Mount Sinai Beth Israel (MSBI) Diversity Council and the Corporate Services Center Heritage of Latino Alliance (HOLA) Employee Resource Group were recently honored by The Association of ERGs and Councils during its annual conference. The association—which provides resources to increase the impact, effectiveness, and recognition of employee resource groups (ERGs) and diversity councils nationally—ranked the MSBI Diversity Council No. 1 in the “Top 10 Diversity Action” awards. The Corporate Services Center HOLA Employee Resource Group ranked No. 7 in the “Top 25 ERG” awards at the virtual conference, which was held October 19-24.

HOLA members at the prom dress drive, from left, Karen Rivera, Sherrine Gonzalez, and Katari Lebron.

The MSBI Diversity Council was recognized for its annual “Go Red” event in February, during which it partners with Mount Sinai Heart to offer blood pressure screenings for patients and staff. In recognition of Black History Month, the council members focused on providing health and wellness information to the Black patient population due to the prevalence of heart disease in this community. The HOLA Employee Resource Group was recognized for its Prom Dress Drive for female students at the Esperanza Preparatory School in East Harlem. HOLA members collected and delivered more than 150 dresses to the school and assisted 50 young women in finding a dress for their prom. “We congratulate the MSBI Diversity Council and the Corporate Services Center HOLA Employee Resource Group, especially the leads of these groups—Donnette Truss and Lena Chang at MSBI and Frank Pabon and Shawn Lee of HOLA—who led the efforts to achieve these recognitions,” says Pamela Y. Abner, MPA, CPXP, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

The Go Red event at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in February 2019.

To receive the awards, diversity councils and ERGs across the country were required to submit a video to the association describing an event or initiative they organized during 2019.  The association selected and evaluated honorees using the “Impact Model,” a data-driven model that shows how the initiative improved talent management, culture, and organizational vitality for the individuals, organization, and external stakeholders involved. The MSBI and HOLA groups were among 45 councils and ERGs nationally honored by the association for demonstrating the standards of excellence for organizations working to enhance their diversity, equity, and inclusion work. In addition, ERGs across the Health System are doing impactful work year round, says Shana L. Dacon, MPH, MBA, Director, Corporate Health System Affairs, Office for Diversity and Inclusion. “We want to thank all diversity council and employee resource group members for their ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and promoting a culture of belonging for all faculty, staff, students, trainees, patients, and the Mount Sinai Health System community,” she says. To learn more about diversity council and employee resource groups, contact the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at diversity@mountsinai.org. Visit the United in Solidarity website to learn about how the Mount Sinai community is promoting efforts to instill an anti-racist culture and promote anti-racist behaviors.