Health Disparities

In the U.S., people of color on average have had younger ages of death from COVID than whites – and lower-income communities have been hardest hit. "Many of these deaths have come in people in the prime of life. As the U.S. approaches the grim milestone of 1 million deaths from COVID, the nation has yet to reckon with the effects of these losses," says Debra Furr-Holden, an epidemiologist at Michigan State University who has been studying the disparate effects of the pandemic.

Michigan is claiming a win when it comes to the pandemic. This comes after a new report released by the state's Coronavirus Racial Disparities Task Force reveals a drop in a health gap among minorities.“Michigan is the only state that I know of that close the racial disparities gap and COVID cases and deaths,” Dr. Debra Furr-Holden, a Flint epidemiologist said. “We're the only state that can say that.”

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"We are committed to reducing African American health disparities. And despite our concerted efforts, I’m troubled by the big gap between vaccination rates for Black people and white people in Michigan, even if these differences by race and ethnicity are dissipating across the country overall." Dr. Debra Furr-Holden contributed to an article in The Conversation where she discussed using academic, government and community partnerships to close the racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccinations.

"We asked residents what they need, and we met their needs. The most important thing we did after that was we aggressively tackled the systems that by their very design have racism baked into them to try to undo some of those things." Dr. Debra Furr-Holden talks with Reverend Al Sharpton on Politics Nation about the importance of working in partnership with the community and how Flint closed the gap between Blacks and Whites suffering from Covid-19.

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Assistant Professor Robey B. Champine, PhD, MS, MPH co-authored an article published in Policy Insights from the Behaviorial and Brain Sciences. It discusses how vulnerabilities to COVID-19 and childhood trauma have deep roots in health inequities and that policy must prioritize health equity.

A public health manifesto: Dr. Debra Furr-Holden is working with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. on national information dissemination and policy strategies to protect vulnerable populations.

Dr. Debra Furr-Holden, associate dean for Public Health Integration and Dr. Renée Branch Canady, Master of Public Health assistant professor, appointed to the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities. The task force will be working to address the way COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted communities of color throughout the stae of Michigan.

Community Foundation of Greater Flint convened its first Greater Flint Coronavirus Taskforce of Racial Disparities Monday, April 27. The task force was created with goals of supporting black and brown communities through the disproportionate consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. MSU's Division of Public Health faculty Dr. Debra Furr-Holden and Dr. Kent Key are serving on the local task force. Currently, Flint leads in the number of overall cases with a reported 593 Covid-19 cases out of the total 1,483 Covid-19 cases in the county.

African Americans are overrepresented among reported coronavirus cases and deaths. A multitude of factors may explain the disparity in COVID-19 outcomes, including higher rates of comorbidities and implicit bias. To address this, we must apply a health equity lens and disaggregate the data.

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Dr. Debra Furr-Holden, a member of Michigan’s Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities, discusses health care inequalities as it relates to COVID-19.

C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health Dr. Debra Furr-Holden sees opportunity in the disparities COVID-19 exposed to the wider public. She spoke to Newsday on the opportunity for innovation and transformation. "These problems predated COVID, but COVID has given us an opportunity to innovate and transform ourselves," she said.

Dr. Debra Furr-Holden and College of Nursing Dean Randy Rasch talks with WKAR. Both were appointed to the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities. The task force is acting in an advisory capacity to the governor and studies the causes of racial disparities in the impact of COVID-19.

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COVID Took Many in the Prime of Life, Leaving Families to Pick Up the Pieces

Michigan Closes the Racial Health Gap; Health Leaders Say More Work is Still Needed

Closing the Racial Gap in Michigan’s COVID-19 Vaccination

Dr. Debra Furr-Holden on Politics Nation with Rev. Al Sharpton

Equity-Focused, Trauma-Informed Policy Can Mitigate COVID-19’s Risks to Children’s Behavioral Health

Rainbow PUSH Coalition, National Medical Association, and National Bar Association Joint Statement on the Response to COVID-19

Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities Dedicates Work to Detroit Girl, 5, Who Died

Local Task Force Formed for Racial Equity in COVID-19 Response

Are Clinicians Contributing to African American COVID-19 Deaths?

Demographic Data for COVID-19 Shows Racial Disparities Higher in Michigan, but More Data Needed

Communities of Color Have Been Devastated by the Crisis

Spartans Join Governor’s Task Force to Address Racial Disparities in Healthcare