Connecting Black individuals to Black practitioners

BIPOC- and Women-Owned Businesses

Research (initial work to identify and understand the problem)

For 10 years I’ve worked as a wellness consultant and fitness instructor, throughout Los Angeles. I’ve worked institutions of varying sizes and weight. In all settings my Black students made a point to seek me out as a resource and inquire about other professionals Looking at personal experience, I’ve been misdiagnosed or ill-treated due to racial bias. For most of 2017, I suffered from debilitating migraines. I met with several doctors and still suffered. By chance, I discovered a Black physician at an urgent care center. He questioned why I hadn’t been given medication to acutely alleviate pain? And we developed a proper plan of action. In sharing this experience many friends and colleagues commiserated.Beliefs about race often lead to inadequate treatment recommendations for black patients’ pain (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4843483/).” I’m aware of these deterrents health. I know connecting providers to patients will benefit us all.

The modern healthcare system is rife with racial disparities. In addition to needing more Black healthcare professionals, it is important for potential patients and clients to quickly find already practicing professional. Moreover, our industrial approach to healthcare exploits our bodies and trivializes wellness. Black Body Well Space will serve the primary purpose of building a database for individuals to quickly identify Black primary care physicians and wellness practitioners (physical therapists, occupational therapists, yoga instructors, personal trainers, pilates instructors etc). Taking a holistic approach to health and wellness, the initial practitioner focus is on primary care physicians, as they are often gatekeepers to other specialists and providers of preventative services and wellness modalities. The site will allow Angelenos, and gradually others, to identify culturally competent professionals to help on their path to wellness. After search on the site individuals may contact providers directly and offer feedback on the site about services. Black health is tied to Black community, BBWS will host pointed virtual and in-person wellness events. These events will center around physical wellbeing concerns that are specific to Black individuals in Los Angeles. These events will help strengthen the sites network of professionals in the community while equipping residents with tools to advocate for themselves and their families.

At the moment, when seeking Black personal trainers or primary physicians an individual will spend hours between google, yelp, zoc doc, mindbody, and asking friends. When successful, Black Los Angelenos will have a go-to place to access wellness resources. Success will be seen in the time saved hunting culturally empathic providers, which can be measured anecdotally and through survey. There will be an increase in once weary residents seeking wellness advice and direction with the barrier of finding Black providers removed. This can be measured in new patients and new client metrics for already existing professionals. Overall success will be seen when this site helps chip away at some of the health disparities within LA county.

Compiling a thorough list with providers invested in keeping their information updated. And having a low-lift method of maintaining accuracy will be the first marker of success. As the site grows, the next marker will be noted by SEO, and traffic to site that leads to individuals subscribing and creating profiles. As only subscribers are able to compile lists or leave reviews - the goals is to increase this conversion. The next success indicator will be verifying visits and sessions. As the goals is to bridge the gap between practitioners to clients or physicians to patients, we must measure that these points of contact are made. Ultimately value will be placed on the site and its reach. Practitioners and vetted companies can then advertise on the site.