It's up to all of us to prevent health disparities.

Addressing Health Disparities in Our Community

Black Americans in the Pittsburgh area and across our country experience disparities when it comes to their health, including chronic conditions, access to care, preventive screenings, and mental health.

Health disparities are preventable and UPMC is committed to driving health education and programming, partnering with our community, and training health care providers to ensure that all individuals and families have the opportunity to live healthier lifestyles.

The first step to preventing health disparities starts with identifying and understanding them. Health disparities can result among Black patients from multiple factors including but not limited to:

  • Individual and behavioral factors
  • Inadequate access to health care
  • Educational inequalities
  • Environmental threats
  • Poverty

On the Forefront of Health Disparities


Lawrence Uradu, MD

Lawrence Uradu, MD

Dr. Uradu specializes in diagnostic radiology. He is the director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Imaging Servies at UPMC, and is dedicated in diversifying the field of medicine.

Read Dr. Uradu's Interview
George Robinson II, MBA

George Robinson II, MBA

George Robinson II, MBA, is director of UPMC Supplier Diversity and Inclusion, which provides minority-owned, woman-owned, and disadvantaged businesses, as well as LGBTQIA+ and veteran-owned enterprises with equal access to procurement opportunities at UPMC and UPMC Health Plan.

Read George Robinson II's Interview
Dr. Tripp

Rickquel “Rikki” Tripp, MD, MPH

Rickquel “Rikki” Tripp, MD, MPH, is the EMS medical director for UPMC Prehospital. She is the vice chair of diversity, health equity, and inclusion within the Department of Emergency Medicine and UPMC Graduate Medical Education. A former flight surgeon with the U.S. Navy on active duty, Dr. Tripp is currently a commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves.

Read Dr. Tripp's Interview
Representative Patty Kim, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Representative Patty Kim, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Rep. Kim advocates to improve health care equality and accessibility in her district and throughout the Commonwealth.

Read Rep. Kim's Interview

More interviews from health disparities experts:




Learn More From UPMC HealthBeat



Glossary:

  • Health Disparities: preventable and disproportionate health conditions and inequalities that exist among all ages in a certain population.
  • Health Literacy: the degree to which an individual can obtain, process, and understand basic health information, so that they can make the best health care decisions.
  • Social Determinants of Health: factors like biology and genetics, individual behavior, social environment, physical environment, and health services, that contribute to an individual’s overall health outcome.
  • Media Literacy: the ability to access, analyze, and evaluate media in a variety of forms. Media literacy is important when it comes to health care because it impacts how individuals make health care decisions based from the information that is presented around them.
  • Unconscious Bias: social stereotypes people unintentionally form about groups of people that can affect how they perceive and interact with them.

Cancer Disparities in Our Community

About one in three Black Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and studies show that Black men and women have the highest rate of death from cancer than any racial or ethnic group in the United States.

Learn more about these disparities and what UPMC is doing to address them.