California Black Media

California Black Health Network’s New Campaign Zooms in on Patient Rights, Empowerment

California Black Health Network (CBHN) recently launched its “Health 4 Life: Healthy Black People Campaign.” The campaign aims to empower and educate all Black Californians with “How do I…” (HDI) information and resources needed to effectively navigate the health care system. It also provides tips for advocating for friends, family, and themselves when undergoing medical treatment. In addition, the campaign advises Black patients on how to respond when faced with discrimination.

Published

8 months ago

August 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Courtesy of California Black Health Network

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

California Black Health Network (CBHN) recently launched its “Health 4 Life: Healthy Black People Campaign.”

The campaign aims to empower and educate all Black Californians with “How do I…” (HDI) information and resources needed to effectively navigate the health care system. It also provides tips for advocating for friends, family, and themselves when undergoing medical treatment.

In addition, the campaign advises Black patients on how to respond when faced with discrimination.

“We are working to ignite a Black Health Movement here in California and create a more empowered community of individuals and patients to become proactive about their overall health and well-being, focus more on prevention, and take ownership of their health and healthcare,” said Smith. “We need to know that there is such a thing as a patient bill of rights, and we need to know how we can exercise our rights as a patient to get the healthcare we deserve.

On July 18, CBHN launched a 5-part webinar series titled “Making the Healthcare System Work Better for You,” to help the African American communities in the Golden State understand how to make more informed healthcare decisions and how to make the healthcare system work better for them.

The series featured speaker is Dr. Glenda F. Newell-Harris, a physician, author, speaker, and patient advocate.

Newell-Harris works at the forefront of addressing health disparities and championing equal access to high-quality healthcare for all. Her passion, she says, prompted her to write a book along with a colleague, Dr. Brenda Springs.

“It’s very important that you need to understand you have rights as a patient. You may feel when you are in a medical situation that you’re at the mercy of everybody that is there. But even in that process, you do have rights,” Newell-Harris added.

An example of some ‘How do I’ questions the campaign answers are; How do I take action to protect my health? How do I find the right healthcare provider for me? How do I know what my plan covers? How do I prepare for my visits? How do I speak up for my and my family’s health?

The first webinar focused on patient rights – “Part 1: Know Your Patient Rights. Newell-Harris delivered a presentation that highlighted patient rights surrounding information, disclosure, insurance coverage, choice of providers, emergency services, treatment decisions, respect and non-discrimination, and patient responsibilities.

“Patient rights were created to build trust and confidence within the healthcare system, to strengthen the bond between you and your healthcare provider, and also to empower you to take charge of your health,” said Newell-Harris.

The remaining webinar schedule is as follows:

August 8 – Part 2: How to Communicate with Your Healthcare Provider
September 19 – Part 3: How to Navigate Through the Healthcare System
October 24 – Part 4: How to Advocate for Yourself and Your Loved Ones
November 21 – Part 5: How to Participate in the Decision-Making for Your Care

For more information and to register, visit cablackhealthnetwork.org/events.

This article is supported by the California Black Health Journalism Project, a program created by California Black Media, that addresses the top health challenges African Americans in California face. It relies on the input of community and practitioners; an awareness of historical factors, social contexts and root causes; and a strong focus on solutions as determined by policymakers, advocates and patients.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 2 – 8, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 2 – 8, 2025

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The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 28 – April 1, 2025

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Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas Honors California Women in Construction with State Proclamation, Policy Ideas

“Women play an important role in building our communities, yet they remain vastly underrepresented in the construction industry,” Smallwood-Cuevas stated. “This resolution not only recognizes their incredible contributions but also the need to break barriers — like gender discrimination.

Published

3 weeks ago

March 24, 2025

Oakland Post

Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), center, is shown with other guest speakers at the Sacramento Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction brunch held at the State Capitol on March 6, 2025. On the left is Jennifer Todd, LMS General Contractors Founder and President. To Todd’s right is Dr. Giovanna Brasfield, from Los Angeles-based Brasfield and Associates. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌, California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

To honor Women in Construction Week, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 30 in the State Legislature on March 6. This resolution pays tribute to women and highlights their contributions to the building industry.

The measure designates March 2, 2025, to March 8, 2025, as Women in Construction Week in California. It passed 34-0 on the Senate floor.

Authored by Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro), another bill, Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 28, also recognized women in the construction industry.

The resolution advanced out of the Assembly Committee on Rules with a 10-0 vote.

The weeklong event coincides with the National Association of Women In Construction (NAWIC) celebration that started in 1998 and has grown and expanded every year since.

The same week in front of the State Capitol, Smallwood, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Assemblymember Josh Hoover (R-Folsom), and Assemblymember Maggie Krell (D-Sacramento), attended a brunch organized by a local chapter of NAWIC.

Two of the guest speakers were Dr. Giovanna Brasfield, CEO of Los Angeles-based Brasfield and Associates, and Jennifer Todd, President and Founder of LMS General Contractors.

Todd is the youngest Black woman to receive a California’s Contractors State License Board (A) General Engineering license. An advocate for women of different backgrounds, Todd she said she has been a woman in construction for the last 16 years despite going through some trying times.

A graduate of Arizona State University’s’ Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, in 2009 Todd created an apprenticeship training program, A Greener Tomorrow, designed toward the advancement of unemployed and underemployed people of color.

“I always say, ‘I love an industry that doesn’t love me back,’” Todd said. “Being young, female and minority, I am often in spaces where people don’t look like me, they don’t reflect my values, they don’t reflect my experiences, and I so persevere in spite of it all.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 11.2% of the construction workforce across the country are female. Overall, 87.3% of the female construction workers are White, 35.1% are Latinas, 2.1% are Asians, and 6.5% are Black women, the report reveals.

The National Association of Home Builders reported that as of 2022, the states with the largest number of women working in construction were Texas (137,000), California (135,000) and Florida (119,000). The three states alone represent 30% of all women employed in the industry.

Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) and the California Legislative Women’s Caucus supported Smallwood-Cuevas’ SCR 30 and requested that more energy be poured into bringing awareness to the severe gender gap in the construction field.

“The construction trade are a proven path to a solid career. and we have an ongoing shortage, and this is a time for us to do better breaking down the barriers to help the people get into this sector,” Rubio said.