Celebrating & Honoring Black History Month

Every February, the U.S. honors the contributions of Black Americans who have helped shape the nation as part of Black History Month. While we work year-round to address health inequities, we believe this month gives us an additional opportunity to help raise awareness about the challenges faced by many in Black communities. There are persistent disparities in end of life care quality and access. For example, Black communities are less likely to receive hospice care, report poorer pain management, and are less likely to have completed advance directives. This is a social justice issue, and End of Life Choices New York is committed to doing our part to promote healthcare equity at the end of life. More information can be found here.

A vital component of the work towards health equity is an exploration of the end of life needs and experiences of racialized and marginalized communities. We are conducting a survey of Black New Yorkers' caregiving and end of life experiences, the first survey of its kind. The results will be used to inform policies, programs, and resources. The survey can be found here. Additionally, in 2022 we published a report, “Caring Conversations for End of Life Care,” which details the findings of two focus groups conducted to explore the end of life planning and care needs of Black New Yorkers.

We welcome your ideas and suggestions for programs, collaborations, and resources to advance this work. Please send us an email at info@eolcny.org.