National speaker discusses health disparities during UNMC visit

Sheila Ryan, Ph.D., UNMC College of Nursing professor, second from left, talks with Dr. Underwood and Susan Beidler, Ph.D., UNMC associate professor and director of the Morehead Center for Nursing Practice.

During a reception at the UNO Thompson Alumni Center, Dr. Underwood, second from left, greets David Grandison, M.D., Ph.D., director of UNMC’s Center for Reducing Health Disparities and Jackie Hill, community outreach nurse coordinator in UNMC’s Center for Reducing Health Disparities.

Sandra Millon Underwood, Ph.D., recently spoke about health disparities to a packed house in the UNMC College of Nursing’s Cooper Auditorium during a presentation that also was viewed by satellite at the college’s Scottsbluff and Kearney campuses.

Dr. Underwood, professor at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee College of Nursing, explained how the circle of poverty plays a major role in health disparities.

It contributes to inadequate information, access to health care and higher incidences of mortality among black cancer patients, she said.

“As nurses, we are in a powerful position to make a difference,” Dr. Underwood said. “We have to see the basic needs of our community and respond to them.”

During her visit, Dr. Underwood challenged nurses to go back to the basics of care, including a holistic approach to meeting patient needs.

Dr. Underwood also said research is a vital tool to eliminate health disparities.

“We’re doing a good job of identifying the problems but we’re not doing enough to solve them,” she said. “Research can go a long way towards providing results.”

Dr. Underwood’s visit originated with an Omaha group called “My Sister’s Keeper,” which provides health information, mentoring and support for women of color who are diagnosed with breast cancer.

Organizer Jackie Hill, a seven-year cancer survivor, is a community outreach nurse coordinator in UNMC’s Center for Reducing Health Disparities.

She said Dr. Underwood gave a very engaging presentation at several Omaha events.

“Dr. Underwood was such a wonderful speaker,” Hill said. “I’ve read much of her research as it relates to health disparities among African-American women and breast cancer but it was powerful to hear her encourage our students, faculty and the Omaha community to get behind the effort to improve health outcomes.”