Fullscript is driven by community—it’s one of our core values. As a result, we give back. Specifically, Fullscript gives financial, nutraceutical, technical, and educational support to organizations that help underserved communities find better health.
In honor of National Minority Health Month 2022, we wanted to highlight some of the incredible organizations we assist. With our combined mission to provide relevant, sustainable care to those who need it most, we aim to make integrative care accessible for everyone.
What is National Minority Health Month?
Annually during April, the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health and its partners organize National Minority Health Month. The event highlights how we can all play a role in reducing health disparities to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority communities.
The Minority Health Month 2022 theme is: Give Your Community a Boost! The global pandemic has disproportionately affected communities of color. So, this year’s theme focuses on the continued importance of vaccinations to protect historically marginalized groups.
As precautions are extremely vital to protecting disadvantaged communities in unprecedented times, so are the organizations that provide accessible care to these communities.
Organizations helping reduce health disparity
1. Borinquen Medical Centers
For five decades, Borinquen Medical Centers (BMC) have provided a comprehensive range of health and social services to Florida’s culturally diverse Miami-Dade County. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, BMC is charged with providing healthcare services to the area’s most underserved populations.
In 2020, the group provided care to over 34,000 patients. Of those served:
- 88% were of a racial or ethnic minority group
- 71% earned at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
- 70% preferred to receive services in a language other than English
As social determinants of health can be significant in Miami-Dade County, many of these patients face multiple health hurdles. To continue to minimize these barriers, BMC has hired a complementary medicine health educator with funding from Fullscript. This important addition will help the team further support chronic disease management and symptoms.
2. Integrated Center for Group Medical Visits
Created in 2019, The Integrated Center for Group Medical Visits (ICGMV) is a non-profit organization serving Lawrence, Massachusetts, and the greater Merrimack Valley. Using Group Medical Visits (GMV), loneliness levels in patients have been reduced and subsequent mental and physical health conditions have improved dramatically.
ICGMV offers 50,000 low-income patients integrative and integrated therapies. According to Data USA, the city of Lawrence is 80% Latino with a high poverty rate (24.2%). As well, approximately 60% of residents qualify for Medicaid or Medicare low-income insurance.
As many integrative approaches are not covered by health insurance, the center provides free group programs such as yoga and exercise, nutrition advice, functional medicine, and post COVID-19 acupuncture. With a grant from Fullscript, ICGMV will continue to offer these programs and plan to upgrade its facilities to become an innovative GMV research and teaching center.
3. Flint Health Initiative
As a result of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, the Flint Health Initiative was created to restore health to low-income and underrepresented members of the community. In partnership with primary care providers, integrative and functional medicine specialists arm patients with immediate and preventative health tools.
According to Census USA, the population in Flint is:
- 54% Black or African American
- Dramatically below the poverty line (when compared to the rest of the USA) with a poverty rate of 37.3%
In addition to this, 39,384 of 95,564 Flint residents reported income levels below the poverty line in the last year.
With financial assistance from Fullscript, the Flint Health Initiative will run its inaugural project to reverse Type II Diabetes for patients in the community. This initiative has the power to transform how we view the clinical experience with regard to underrepresented populations and integrative diabetes management.
The Bottom Line
A one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare doesn’t cut it — especially for socially and financially excluded communities. That’s why we’re committed to providing support to the practitioners working with these groups directly.
National Minority Health Month plays a critical role in creating awareness of the health challenges faced by racial and ethnic minority communities. Empowering people to overcome these barriers will continue beyond just this important month, and we’re honored to be able to do our part.