Transcending traditional barriers between church and state and barriers between the University and the Charlottesville community, University doctors, nurses and staff came together with representatives from faith-based organizations and other non-profits for the first time Saturday to address racial disparities in health care in the City.
"U.Va. has recognized an incredible opportunity to start to erase the barriers that have been in place," said Breyette Lorntz, associate director of the Center for Global Health at the University and the initiator of the conference. "When you talk about health, it's a way for everyone to come together. There is no competition."
The participants, representing a vast array of faiths, races and economic backgrounds, all voiced their commitment to increasing access to health care for Charlottesville's African-American community through increased faith-based initiatives.
"A large disparity exists between African Americans and the population as a whole in the arena of health care," Lorntz said, adding that nine African-American men die of prostrate cancer for every one white man.
Lorntz acknowledged that racial barriers exist in the city, specifically citing the string of assaults on white and Asian-American students last fall.
"Of course you have racism if you have that kind of thing," she said. "Of course there is anger and violence."
The non-emergency treatment received by low-income African Americans in Charlottesville often comes from parish nurses in local churches rather than from doctors at hospitals, said representatives from area churches.
In panels and workshops, conference participants shared personal experiences in health ministry and offered suggestions for future collaboration between the University, non-profits that provide health care as well as local churches, synagogues and mosques.
"What I'm hoping will come out of this is a recognition of how important churches are in health," said Holly Edwards, parish nurse and outreach coordinator for the Connecting People to Jobs Program at the Westhaven Clinic in Charlottesville. "I want to bring healing and health back to the church."
Participants said they were hopeful about what the conference might inspire.
"Usually you don't see this happen," said David Simmons, president of the Charlottesville Black Nurses Association. "Being able to bring this group together, to have this dialogue, is a stepping stone to addressing the needs we see in the community."
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