health

James Pickens Jr., who portrays Dr. Richard Webber on Grey's Anatomy, publicly disclosed his prostate cancer diagnosis through a public service announcement that aired at the conclusion of a November episode. After experiencing elevated PSA levels in early 2024 and January 2025, medical tests revealed a tumor, which he had removed through robotic radical prostatectomy surgery. Given his family history of prostate cancer affecting his father and uncles, Pickens used his platform to advocate for early cancer screenings, especially among Black men who face higher risk. Days after his announcement, he shared on social media that he is now cancer-free and continues encouraging others to get screened.

Dr. Bryanne Standifer-Barrett, a Detroit-based board-certified internist and menopause specialist, is challenging the cultural silence surrounding menopause in Black women's health through education and community building. She is organizing "The Glow Through It" dinner event in Southfield to create space for open dialogue about perimenopause and menopause, addressing the documented reality that Black women experience earlier onset and more severe symptoms than white women while receiving inadequate treatment. The physician, who teaches internal medicine and advises health companies, advocates for reframing menopause as an empowering life transition rather than something to endure quietly. Her work emphasizes health equity and the need to normalize conversations about midlife changes affecting women. Through this event and her broader platform, she aims to provide Black women with knowledge, community support, and validation of their health experiences.

This article shares firsthand accounts from eight Black Americans who received organ transplants, highlighting both their struggles and gratitude. Black patients face disproportionately high rates of organ failure and longer wait times, though they represented nearly a quarter of the 48,000 transplant recipients last year. The patients describe their journeys from diagnosis through transplantation, including experiences with heart failure, kidney disease, and cancer, with wait times ranging from days to years. Their stories reveal the physical and emotional toll of waiting for organs, the challenges of post-transplant life including taking dozens of daily medications, and their newfound appreciation for life and advocacy for organ donation.

A federal appeals court has ruled that the Trump administration can block Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood of Michigan while a larger legal challenge continues, immediately affecting nearly 14,000 patients who rely on Medicaid for essential healthcare services. Planned Parenthood will cover costs for already scheduled appointments through September 22, 2025, but after that date, Medicaid patients must either pay out-of-pocket or find alternative providers. The ruling threatens access to critical preventative services like cancer screenings, birth control, and STI testing, with potential consequences falling heaviest on low-income communities in urban areas like Detroit and Flint as well as underserved rural regions. Health experts warn this decision could worsen existing health inequities in Michigan, particularly affecting Black women who already face higher rates of cervical cancer and maternal health complications.

Victor Walker shares his deeply personal experience with kidney failure and dialysis, describing how invisible illnesses often go unrecognized despite their severity. He details the exhausting reality of dialysis treatment—a life-sustaining but draining process he undergoes three times weekly for four hours at a time while awaiting a kidney transplant. Walker highlights the significant racial disparities in kidney disease treatment, noting that Black Americans develop end-stage kidney disease at nearly four times the rate of white Americans yet face longer transplant wait times. Through his story, he advocates for increased awareness, early testing, and encourages more Black Americans to consider becoming living donors to address these healthcare inequities.

Volunteers of America Michigan (VOAMI) has launched "Breaking the Stigma," an innovative pilot program at their Detroit Veterans Housing Program to help veterans struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. The initiative, funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, embeds a therapist and case manager directly in the transitional housing facility to provide on-site care and build trust with veterans who are often reluctant to seek help. The program offers comprehensive support services including individual and group therapy, case management, 12-step meetings, and healthcare navigation assistance, utilizing evidence-based treatment approaches. VOAMI reports that approximately 70% of veterans in their transitional housing program face substance use challenges, while more than a third of their social service clients have diagnosed mental health conditions.