Grand Rapids African American Health Institute Names
Three New Members to its Executive Board

The Grand Rapids African American Health Institute (GRAAHI), an organization devoted to achieving health parity for Black Americans in Kent County and throughout the state, today announced the appointment of three new members to its Executive Board.

Dr. Karen Kennedy, Misti Stanton and Mia Gutridge were elected by existing GRAAHI Board members at the organization’s June meeting.

“Adding these three talented and dedicated leaders to our Executive Board will bring new insight to our advocacy efforts and strengthen our impact to the residents we serve,” said Vanessa Greene, CEO of GRAAHI. “We are grateful to have them join our Board and help us address chronic health issues and inequities facing the Black community.”

Dr, Karen Kennedy currently serves as the Mercy Health Physician Partners (MHPP) Regional Medical Director and serves as Lead Physician in one of their direct-to-employer medical sites with Lacks Enterprises Primary Care. She is also proud to serve as the MHPP Diversity and Inclusion Champion alongside a team of dedicated leaders from across West Michigan. She has previously served as Vice President of the West Michigan Medical Society in Grand Rapids. Dr. Kennedy has been a board-certified Family Medicine physician since 2002, earning a degree from Upstate Medical School in Syracuse, NY and her MD from the UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Family Medicine Residency program in New Brunswick, NJ.

Misti Stanton is a fresh voice in diversity in Michigan. After more than 30 years of community and non-profit work, she currently serves as the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Mercantile Bank. She devotes her time and energy to cultivating an inclusive work environment in a rapidly-growing organization.

Misti is passionate about health equity, advocacy, and community empowerment. She has dedicated her career to improving the lives of others. She lives by the philosophy that community service impacts the health and well-being of our region. In her spare time, Misti volunteers for a variety of community organizations and advocates for youth literacy and community empowerment.

Mia Gutridge is currently the Human Resources Manager at Grand Rapids Housing Commission. She has a master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Project Management, is a certified Professional Human Resources (PHR) provider, and a member of the Society for Human Resources-Certified Professionals (SHRM-CP).

Mia is active in the community and serves in many leadership roles. She is the chapter president of the Grand Rapids Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, leading the chapter’s efforts in education development, economic development, mental and physical health, international awareness and development, and political awareness and development. She also serves as the District President of the Women’s Home and Missionary Society of Western Michigan and as a member of the Evaluation and Impact Committee for the Women’s Resource Center. She is married to Dwight L. Gutridge, Pastor of St. Luke A.M.E. Zion Church in Grand Rapids.

“The strength of any organization begins with its Board,” said GRAAHI Board Chair Paul Doyle. “We are fortunate to have three dedicated, knowledgeable and passionate people join our Board and devote their efforts to improving health parity for Black citizens in the area.”

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As the new CEO of Grand Rapids African American Health Institute, Vanessa Greene is expanding on GRAAHI’s mission as a leader for health equity in West Michigan, helping to identify and eliminate barriers to health for blacks, latinx and all people of color. TheGrand Rapids African American Health Institute is a leading national organization devoted to achieving healthcare parity for African Americans through advocacy, education, and research.

My Take: “Eliminating health care disparities will require systemic change.”

Vanessa Greene, CEO, Grand Rapids African American Health Institute

African Americans and other diverse populations in West Michigan, and across the U.S., have been fighting for their rights and equality and have seen progress. 

A real discussion of history and its long-lasting negative impact on certain diverse groups is happening, with more attention being paid to how we can address those issues. Legislators also addressed past discrimination by recognizing racism as a national health crisis.

While this is an opportunity to celebrate, we still have a long way to go, and there remains a need to address inequities that are directly affecting the health and wellbeing of our communities.

At the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute (GRAAHI), one of the biggest obstacles we address every day is the ongoing battle with disparities in the quality of health care for African Americans and other diverse groups in Michigan.

The arrival of COVID-19 further amplified our understanding of the racial inequities embedded in Michigan’s health care system — with African Americans hit harder by the disease due in part to a higher level of underlying health conditions — and how much quality of care can differ based solely on a patient’s race. Yet, research conducted on behalf of Consumers for Quality Care (CQC) shows that this is not just a problem in Michigan. A majority (56 percent) of Americans agree that COVID-19 has exposed racial disparities in our system.

Here are some sobering stats:

In 2017, 10.6 percent of African Americans were uninsured, compared with 5.9 percent of non-Hispanic whites. 16.1 percent of Hispanics were uninsured.

12.1 percent of African Americans under the age of 65 reported having no health insurance coverage. The number was 20.1 percent for Hispanics.

13.8 percent of African Americans reported having fair or poor health, compared with 8.3 percent of non-Hispanic whites

African Americans have the highest mortality rate for cancer, compared with any other racial and ethnic group.

In Kent County, African American infants are 2.5 times more likely to die before the age of 1 than white infants, and 2.2 times more likely to be born with low birth weights.Your stories live here.Fuel your hometown passion and plug into the stories that define it.Create Account

Our goal must be to remove these racial disparities in health care, but it will be a long battle and require systemic changes beyond health care. At GRAAHI, we are on the front lines battling these disparities.

The disconnect between minorities and health care is reflected in the breakdown of health care workers. Less than 20 percent of registered nurses identify as minorities, despite minorities comprising 40 percent of U.S. population. In 2018, 13 percent of the U.S. population was Black, but only 5.4 percent of physicians were African American.

One way to address health care disparities is to encourage more minorities to work in the health care field. Lack of diverse representation is one reason many people of color are hesitant to seek the proper care, preventative or otherwise, so the role of African-American health care providers is critical in building trust and improving health outcomes in communities of color.

To support increasing health care provider diversity, GRAAHI is collaborating with colleges and universities across West Michigan, with support from Kellogg, to help create a pipeline of students of all ethnic backgrounds from high school to careers in health care.

Increasing awareness of the social determinants and key issues affecting health for diverse populations is also essential. Advocacy, education, and research will be crucial to effectively improving health outcomes.

Our end goal is to create a culture where we have moved beyond the need to address inequities and can guarantee that everyone can access a healthy lifestyle, preventative care, and understand how to navigate the health care system.

We can create real, impactful, and meaningful health care change for diverse populations by eliminating disparities, and ensuring that all West Michigan residents will receive affordable quality care without race being a determinant.

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