Alzheimer’s Association partners with My Black Doctor Directory to spread awareness as Black Americans are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementia.
February 8, 2024, Atlanta, GA – The Alzheimer’s Association, Georgia Chapter is proud to announce a new partnership with My Black Doctor Directory.
Health equity means assuring everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Unfortunately in Atlanta and other cities, both large and small, health inequity persists and costs lives. To help address this inequity, we have developed a web-based directory of Black doctors to provide patients with access to a broad network of culturally competent doctors. “I believe My Black Doctor Directory will have a significant impact on health equity,” said Frank Jones, MD, creator of the directory.
“Studies show that Black patients do better and live longer if they have doctors that look like them. Many Black patients have never even met a Black doctor, and most definitely don’t have a Black doctor. We plan to change that. This directory will provide access to compassionate, culturally-sensitive doctors who are invested in keeping Black patients and Black communities healthy,” Jones said.
Black Americans make up 12% of the U.S. population. However, only five percent of U.S. physicians are Black. That percentage is even lower for other types of doctors. It has been said that the best way to eliminate health disparities in the Black community is to increase the number of Black doctors. This directory also aims to address the shortage of Black doctors by providing access to mentors that can help students navigate the process of becoming a doctor.This directory will give patients and others easy access to compassionate, culturally-sensitive doctors who are invested in keeping their patients healthy,” Jones said.
For example, Black Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as they age. Black Americans are also disproportionately at a higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer and a myriad of other chronic conditions.
So how does a patient find a Black doctor in Atlanta? Now you can go to www.MyBDD.com and search for a doctor on My Black Doctor Directory, an all-in-one resource where you can find the doctor you are looking for. You can search by specialty, location, hospital affiliations, gender, and other filters. Most importantly, this directory is unique because you can also search for your doctor utilizing culturally relevant filters such as:
- Did they graduate from an HBCU?
- Are they multilingual?
- Are they members of a fraternity/sorority or other Black organizations?
- Are they willing to be a mentor?
Why is there a need for a Black Doctor Directory and why is it important?
“First of all, it will give Black patients access to doctors that may share similar life experiences, leading to increased trust, less bias, better communication and shared decision making. It will also make it easier for doctors and health systems to refer patients to Black doctors. Finally, mentoring the next generation of Black doctors is very important. This directory will help students who are trying to find a mentor find one who looks like them,” Jones added.
Dr. Jones, a Black doctor himself, has been practicing medicine in inner-city Atlanta for 24 years as a General Surgeon and Trauma/Critical Surgeon at Grady Memorial Hospital, and several other hospitals. He has served on the faculty at Morehouse School of Medicine for 17 years, and PCOM GA for the past 6 years, and this has provided him an opportunity to teach and mentor thousands of medical students. Jones also holds a Masters in Public Health degree from UNC Chapel Hill. The convergence of these experiences have helped him understand the complex issues surrounding health equity and health disparities.
“Through my experiences as a Black physician, teacher and community advocate, it became obvious that this type of directory is much needed, and I want it to be a true and authentic reflection of the Black doctors in our community. I also want the directory to serve as a tribute to Black excellence in the Atlanta community” Jones said. Dr. Jones, originally from Augusta, Georgia, graduated from Morehouse College and Morehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Jones also serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer’s Association – Georgia Chapter.
