[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 163 (Wednesday, November 17, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2426-E2427]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        AFRICAN-AMERICAN INITIATIVE FOR MALE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CAROLYN C. KILPATRICK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 16, 1999

  Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to a 
tragic health care crisis that currently exists among African-American 
men in my state of Michigan, as well as across the nation, with regard 
to undiagnosed and undertreated chronic disease. Research has 
established that African-Americans exhibit a greater prevalence of 
chronic diseases than the general population--including diabetes, 
hypertension, eye disease and stroke. And African-American men often 
suffer disproportionately.
  For example, diabetes is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality 
in African-American men. Persons affected by diabetes suffer higher 
rates (often double) of serious preventable complications, including 
blindness, lower extremity amputation and end-stage renal disease. 
Poorly controlled diabetes is also a ``gateway'' condition in that it 
leads to cardiovascular disease (including hypertension), accounting 
for more than two-thirds of diabetes-related deaths. These unnecessary 
deaths are due to underlying atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and 
result in heart attacks.
  Uncontrolled diabetes progressively leads to deterioration in health 
status, poorer quality of life, and ultimately, premature mortality. It 
is increasingly clear that serious measures must be implemented in the 
short-term to address the chronic disease health crisis affecting 
African-American men in Michigan and to turn these troubling statistics 
around for the longer term.
  Scientific studies show that these complications are preventable, and 
measures to implement prevention plans must be taken now. As the 
Federal Government evaluates the investment it should make in this 
particularly important area of minority and community health, I would 
strongly encourage cultivating partnerships with integrated health 
systems in the private sector who have years of substantive experience 
in designing highly effective community-based health programs.
  I have recently become aware of the successful efforts of the Henry 
Ford Health System in Detroit, MI, to address the crisis through the 
establishment of the African-American Initiative for Male Health 
Improvement (AIM-HI). AIM-HI is reaching out with screening and 
assistance for people who suffer prevalent chronic diseases. AIM-HI 
provides test results, patient education and participant referrals, 
monitoring appointment compliance and providing assistance with finding 
treatment for underinsured participants who test positive. The locus of 
AIM-HI program services is in the Metropolitan Detroit area, where 75 
percent of the Michigan target population resides. In order to reach 
the largest number of people in the African-American male population, 
AIM-HI provides program services throughout the community at churches, 
community centers, senior centers, parks, barber shops, union halls, 
and fraternal organization halls.
  In addition to screening, educational, and treatment access services, 
AIM-HI is also developing a tool to evaluate the quality of health care 
delivered to African-American men with diabetes and other chronic 
diseases. This ``report card'' assesses health care quality and 
effectiveness across a set of performance indicators that have been 
developed jointly by a panel of experts and community representatives. 
This initiative, sponsored by the Henry Ford Health System, is now in 
an embryonic stage and has had to confine itself to a narrow target 
population and program scope due to limited resources. Yet, it is 
resoundingly clear

[[Page E2427]]

that this particular model has the potential to make a significant 
impact in affecting positive outcomes and health status improvement for 
African-American males.
  I would hope that as the Department of Health and Human Services 
develops its budget for Fiscal Year 2001, strong consideration will be 
given to investing federal resources in collaborative partnerships with 
integrated health systems in urban settings that have the expertise to 
develop innovative models for minority health improvements.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Chairman of the Labor, HHS, 
Education Appropriations Subcommittee, Mr. Porter, and the ranking 
minority member, Mr. Obey, for their clear commitment to improving the 
quality of health care for all Americans in Fiscal Year 2000. I look 
forward to working with the Subcommittee in the next session of 
Congress to increase support for critically needed minority health 
initiatives.

                          ____________________