Dr. D’Andrae Douse gets a bit frustrated when the topic of health disparities for Blacks comes up.
The president of the African American Healthcare Alliance knows the issue is real – certain chronic conditions, for example, are more prevalent among Blacks. What concerns Douse is when there’s little movement toward improvement.
“Health disparities with African Americans have been in existence forever, and all we do is talk about it,” said Douse, who graduated from medical school in 1976. “When are we going to start doing something about it? It’s well known that we have more diabetes, hypertension … kidney disease, obesity. There’s others, too.”
Some disparities could be minimized if individuals committed to change.
“It certainly starts with eating right and exercising. Even if you don’t have adequate access to health care, you can play an important role by eating right and exercise,” Douse said. “You can overcome some of those genetic deficiencies, some of them. Obviously if you have sickle cell disease, just eating right and exercise isn’t going to overcome it. You need adequate health care.”
Douse is one of several Fort Wayne-area residents working to increase fitness and health care awareness, especially among Blacks. Other advocates include Yalonda Naylor, founder of the nonprofit Transitional Health Inc., which focuses on nutrition, and Carla Jennings, who owns a fitness business.
Healthcare Alliance
Douse is medical director of the Parkview Noble Wound Care Center. He’s been leading the 60-plus member African American Healthcare Alliance about six years.
The organization is dedicated to educating the Black community about health care issues. It also hosts an annual scholarship ball that has given more than $600,000 to about 180 Black students from Fort Wayne.
“We try to encourage young Black youth to pursue a career in health care, yes, that’s something we know about; but to pursue a higher education – that’s what our goal is,” Douse said.
The Healthcare Alliance also has a mentoring program at Lakeside Middle School where the general emphasis is education beyond high school. While college isn’t for everyone, Douse said, some students may have interest in a trade, such as plumbing or mechanics, that still requires special training.
Douse came to Fort Wayne in 1980 after finishing his medical residency. He attended a college known for engineering but decided he wanted to become a physician his junior year.
Early on, Douse got used to 80- to 90-hour work weeks. He didn’t sleep enough and didn’t maintain the healthy diet he is accustomed to now. Those lifestyle factors likely contributed to a couple of health scares Douse said he had, including concerns about his heart that years ago sidelined him from work for three months.
Douse said it took 10 years of being a doctor to learn that he had to take care of himself before he could take care of others.
After the coronavirus outbreak was declared a global pandemic in mid-March, Douse said it was a reminder that he could become even more diligent about eating healthy and exercise to ensure the strongest immune system.
Some health issues are more prevalent among Blacks, such as prostate cancer, may run more along genetic lines, Douse said.
“There’s not a lot you can do about that, other than screening. Early screening,” he said.
The biggest change during Douse’s career was the passage of the federal Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare. It was enacted in 2010 and made subsidies available to lower-income households for health insurance.
“That has allowed more Blacks to get better access to health care. They’re able to get health insurance and that opens the door to access to health care,” Douse said. “I was real excited when Obamacare passed.”
Transitional Health
Yalonda Naylor talks about “wellness deserts” – not just food deserts.
“Food desert” is a phrase used when people talk about limited access geographically to healthy food options. In Fort Wayne, the southeast side falls short, Naylor said. But she goes beyond food and points to other disparities, including fewer fitness clubs and nutrition store retailers, making it a wellness desert. Add to that the corner stores close to schools and community centers that sell a multitude of snacks that many young people consider treats, particularly those with red dye, Naylor said.
The regular consumption of many such snacks contributes to obesity, and Naylor noted that some research has linked certain dyes to other issues, including allergies and hyperactivity.
“I think we have to do a better job of marketing the southeast side of town,” she said. “I think (businesses) have a perception there’s no money out there. There’s clearly money out there because they keep building these corner stores.”
Even when organizations bring speakers in to talk about health, more of those discussions are needed on the southeast side, said Naylor, whose target area includes the 46806 and 46807 ZIP codes.
And it’s crucial that the mix of speakers include diversity, Naylor said – if the hosts want to make a difference in the Black community.
“When it comes from someone that looks like you, you retain that information more, even when it comes to fitness, say a fitness professional,” Naylor said. “I mean that matters … you have to be relatable.”
Naylor, former Snider High School basketball star, is a certified fitness nutrition specialist and youth exercise specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. The 48-year-old was a medical specialist in the U.S. Army and the Indiana Army National Guard. She built a career in the transportation industry, working as a locomotive engineer. She has, for personal reasons, set aside the railroad career.
In March, Naylor released a self-published book titled “The Truth About Your Health.” She talks about how pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. can direct-market to consumers and how some doctors don’t spend enough time talking about nutrition but instead are quick to prescribe medications. Many times, the medications have side effects.
Naylor has sold 1,000 copies of “The Truth About Your Health,” despite some book tours being canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. A recently produced audio CD of the book has sold more than 500 copies, Naylor said. Plus, she continues to do at least one workshop most weeks, typically via Facebook, where she has a Transitional Health page.
Her nonprofit is funded by private donations and offers most of its workshops free to participants. Naylor has given presentations at locations including the Renaissance YMCA, the Urban League – where she has her office space – and at multiple churches.
While many people assume they are more prone to certain conditions, such as diabetes, because of family history, Naylor says the real problem is generations following the same unhealthy eating patterns.
Naylor was used to an active lifestyle as an athlete, but said she had a poor perception of what it meant to be healthy.
She has four godchildren, including two in Fort Wayne. Naylor faced some personal health challenges but decided to focus on improving her own health because she wanted to be a role model. She’s had close relatives battle chronic medical conditions, including her parents.
“What sets me apart is what I eat,” said Naylor, whose book includes several recipes, including for Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. “I’m breaking that generational curse.”
Fit4U!
Carla Jennings wants to help others become their best selves, and being healthy is central to that.
In 2012, Jennings started Fit4U!, a fitness business with several options for people interested in a more active lifestyle.
Fit4U! was initially located at Heat Fitness Lab, but Jennings recently moved into a leased space at 1301 Lafayette St. downtown.
Jennings, 59, said the reality that many people were walking around unhealthy didn’t “set well” with her.
“And so with having a passion and a heart for wellness and for fitness, I just wanted to be a part of making a change in that, and it just kind of pushed my drive for doing what I did.”
Jennings has about 30 clients and says most are Black. She teaches small yoga groups and upper- and lower-body workout classes.
She is teaching a 13-week introductory course to build consistency during the coronavirus pandemic and a 12-week transformation program.
The name Fit4U! signifies Jennings’ goal of meeting people where they are rather than focusing on numbers on a scale.
“Everybody’s at different body weights and body differences, and so it’s not a comparison at all,” she said. “My idea behind fitness is to do what’s fit for you.”
Jennings tries to motivate people in general, including with social media posts and short videos.
But Jennings said she also loves working with women because they often neglect their health and happiness to ensure that others are cared for.
Regardless of race or gender, Jennings said she strives to make all clients comfortable.
“It really hurts when I see a person being treated unjustly because of their color,” she said.
With her new space, Jennings said she has been inspired to pursue new ideas. One of them is Hooked on Healthy, where clients will receive a hanger to hang a piece of clothing that they currently do not fit into. At the end of the program, clients will try on the piece of clothing, taking pictures with the empty hanger in their hand.
She is also offering couples yoga classes, hoping to inspire more men to get involved in the practice. Yoga provides increased flexibility, strength and improves cardiovascular health.
“You can be healthy at whatever age, just continue to take care of yourself and continue to put yourself on your own schedule, because life will get busy,” she said. “And so that’s why I’m so passionate about encouraging women and I’m so passionate about being an example of loving people – not loving a race but loving people – showing people that God cares for all of us.”