By Jennifer Porter GoreWord in Black Roughly 1 in 3 doctors who are enrolled to treat Medicaid patients didn’t treat a single one between 2019 and 2021, according to new research. At the opposite end of the spectrum, a third of enrolled health care providers saw more than 150 Medicaid patients each year, a workload […]
Category: NEWS
Posted inAfro Briefs
Najee Seabrooks: Still teaching young people how to live three years later!
By Zayid Muhammad They were not only wearing their famous orange and black gear on this day. Some had on that gear especially made to honor their fallen friend and colleague, that red and black gear, his smiling face on the front, and a quote of his on the back that bespoke his vibrant personality […]
Posted inHealth
Menopause and the power of becoming: advocates, doctors push for more inclusive conversations
By Victoria MejicanosAFRO Staff Writervmejicanos@afro.com Menopause is clinically defined as “12 consecutive months without a menstrual period,” according to Dr. Ngozi Wexler, an OB-GYN and chief medical officer at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center. But advocates like Omisade Burney-Scott, founder of The Black Girls’ Guide to Surviving Menopause, say the transition carries a deeper significance. While […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Rev. Jamal Bryant’s announcement ending Target boycott met with fierce criticism
By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to the AFRO It lasted more than 400 days, but on March 11, the nationwide boycott of Target initiated by Black leaders was brought to an end. During a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Rev. Jamal Bryant, along with former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Wells Fargo modernizes 130 D.C.-area branches through District-by-District Branch Transformation program
Wells Fargo is modernizing 130 branches in the Washington, D.C., area as part of its District-by-District Branch Transformation program, a multi-year effort to revamp 4,000 branches nationwide. The initiative blends technology upgrades with in-person services, aiming to strengthen branches as hubs for financial guidance, relationship-building and community engagement.
Posted inNational News
Financial records raise conflict questions for president’s top leaders
By Stacy M. BrownBlack Press USA senior correspondent (NNPA Newswire) – Thousands of financial disclosure documents filed by officials serving under President Donald Trump reveal a far-reaching web of financial relationships linking powerful policymakers to the industries their agencies regulate, raising new scrutiny about conflicts of interest across the federal government. An investigation by ProPublica […]
Posted inWord In Black
Demystifying the end: Hospice care impact on the Black community
Hospice care offers comfort, dignity and emotional support at the end of life, but it remains underused in Black communities due to misconceptions, limited access and historical distrust of the healthcare system. Advocates say education, community outreach and culturally sensitive care are key to helping families better understand hospice and use its services earlier.
Posted inBaltimore News
United Way of Central Maryland, Wellpoint Maryland celebrate Read Across America Month with Baltimore scholars
United Way of Central Maryland and Wellpoint Maryland recently partnered for a Read Across America Month event with scholars from Curtis Bay Elementary and Bay-Brook Elementary/Middle Schools in Baltimore City. More than 900 titles were donated, allowing students to choose which books they wanted to take home.
Posted inAfro Briefs
UN panel says racist hate speech by US leaders has led to human rights violations
A U.N.-backed panel says racist rhetoric by U.S. leaders and strict immigration enforcement have contributed to serious human rights violations, urging the U.S. to review its policies and halt enforcement near schools, hospitals, and churches.
Posted inOPINION
The silent crisis in our community — why amyloidosis awareness matters now
Each year in March amyloidosis is recognized with an awareness month. Jonathan L. Dotson serves as executive director of Friendship That Gives, a health advocacy organization. This week, he urges the Black community to learn more about the condition, which is caused by abnormal protein deposits that damage vital organs.
Posted inNational News
Nearly 1 in 3 missing children in the US are Black, driving Pennsylvania and other states to propose ‘Ebony Alerts’ to ensure equal protection and public safety
With nearly one-third of missing children in the United States being Black, some states are proposing “Ebony Alert” systems to address disparities in how missing cases receive public attention and law enforcement response compared with the existing AMBER Alert program.
Posted inWord In Black
Another win for Lacks heirs in fight over her cells
The family of Henrietta Lacks has reached an undisclosed settlement with pharmaceutical company Novartis, marking another legal victory in their effort to hold companies accountable for profiting from her cells without consent. Lacks’ “immortal” HeLa cells, taken during cancer treatment in 1951, became foundational to major scientific breakthroughs while her family remained unaware for decades and received no compensation.