HJNO Nov/Dec 2023

34 NOV / DEC 2023  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Healthcare Briefs Why are Black adults at greater risk of death from heart disease? Black Americans are 54% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than White Americans, despite a substantial overall reduction in cardio- vascular disease mortality nationwide. Now, a new study from Tulane University pub- lished in Annals of Internal Medicine has found that this racial disparity can be attributed to social factors such as unemployment, low income, and lack of a partner, rather than known factors such as hypertension and obesity. “For so many years we have focused on smok- ing, diet, physical activity, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol — and we know those are important for the prevention of cardio- vascular disease — but it surprised me that the Black-White difference in cardiovascular disease mortality is mainly due to social factors,” said Jiang He, MD, lead author and Joseph S. Copes Chair in Epidemiology at Tulane’s School of Pub- lic Health and Tropical Medicine. Using health data frommore than 50,000 adults, the study examined the association between clin- ical risk factors (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol), lifestyle risk factors (smok- ing, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and too little or too much sleep), and social risk factors (unem- ployment, low family income, food insecurity, low education, no regular access to healthcare, no pri- vate health insurance, not owning a home, and not married nor living with a partner) with cardio- vascular mortality. When the study adjusted for age and sex, Black adults had a 54% higher cardiovascular disease mortality rate compared to White adults. That dropped to 34% and 31% after adjusting for clin- ical and lifestyle risk factors, respectively. But the racial difference in cardiovascular mortality com- pletely dissipated after adjusting for social risk factors. “When we adjusted for lifestyle and clinical risk factors, the Black-White disparity in cardiovas- cular disease mortality was diminished but still persisted,” He said. “However, after adjusting for social risk factors, this racial difference totally disappeared.” This study follows another recent Tulane study that similarly found Black Americans are 59% more likely to die prematurely than White Americans. That disparity was reduced to zero after adjusting for these social factors, also called social determinants of health. Social determinants of health, while a relatively new framework, was emphasized by the CDC’s Healthy People 2030 initiative as eight areas of life critical to health and well-being. For He, the findings emphasize the importance of well-paying jobs, healthcare access, and social support that can come from a family or tight-knit community. Going forward, He is putting these findings into practice with a program that aims to address hypertension in New Orleans’ Black communi- ties by partnering with local churches to provide health screening training and free medication. “It is essential to develop novel community- based interventions for reducing cardiovascular disease risk in Black populations,” He said. Cardiovascular Institute of the South Names New Executives Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) has named Crystal Williams, MHA, FACMPE, as chief operating officer and John Kazusky, MBA, as senior vice president of practice management. Moving into the COO role, Williams has more than 30 years of healthcare management experi- ence. She previously served as the executive vice president of practice management for the Bayou Region at CIS. Prior to that role, she served as an office manager for 26 years, managing many of CIS’s Bayou Region locations. Before beginning her role in healthcare management, she worked in other departments within CIS such as insur- ance, medical records, and transcription. Williams is a fellow of the American College of Medical Practice Executives, and she has served as pres- ident of the Louisiana Medical Group Manage- ment Association (MGMA) and its local chapter. Williams graduated from Nicholls State University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplin- ary studies, and with minors in humanities, social sciences, and business administration. She also holds a master’s degree in healthcare administra- tion from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. Williams’ predecessor, Ryan Hebert, was named CEO earlier this year. As the senior vice president of practice man- agement, Kazusky is overseeing all practice administrative duties within the organization, including management of staff and day-to-day clinic operations. He joined the CIS team in 2012 as a practice administrator in Zachary, and in 2017, he was promoted to regional practice administra- tor over the Baton Rouge area. Kazusky attended Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business adminis- tration. He then earned a master’s degree in busi- ness administration from Louisiana State Univer- sity in Baton Rouge. DCHC Launches Postgraduate Residency Training Program for Family Nurse Practitioners DePaul Community Health Centers (DCHC) recently launched a postgraduate family nurse practitioner residency training program designed to provide intensive training in both the clinical complexity of family practice in the safety net set- ting and training in the patient-centered medical home model for primary care. Crystal Williams, MHA, FACMPE John Kazusky, MBA