Eunjung Kim Interview; Region X (7/7/16)
-What
is your name? Eunjung Kim
-Where
were you born? South Korea
-Where
did you grow up? Korea
-Profession
currently: Nursing
-Region
working in right now: Theater
-State
living in right now: Washington
2.
Why
are you interested in public health and how did you get into the field of
public health?
Health of individuals is related to
social determinants. Where they grew up, where they lived, what job they had, etc.… and because public health is tied to community nursing.
3.
What
is health equity to you?
People,
individuals, have a similar level of health. Health should be similar, not
different.
4.
What
are some challenges (that still persist) within the field of health equity in
public health?
I came to the US from a Korean background, as an
immigrant and first generation. I was essentially privileged because I received my education here. But unfortunately other Korean immigrants are not receiving the same education
or quality of education in back home in Korea. Many of these people come here and only get
jobs that education gave them… many are in the small business, work long hours...16 hours a day even. These jobs are typically in the dry cleaning business where there are many chemicals. I on the other hand had a job in the office teaching students where it was safe, safe from chemicals and other hazards.
On another note, a lot of these immigrants don't have insurance. And those who do, essentially feel like they have no insurance because of the high premiums. Example: patient with strain
neck; out of packet (premium) 10,000 dollars a year which in reality means
she has “no insurance” because of the premium.
Then there is Obama care; almost too
useless to some people. Many patients come to clinic because they think they
have insurance but many don’t know how insurance works. In reality, they face many out of
pocket expenses—and then they ask me "I pay for insurance but why am I still paying
for health care?" So this is another problem- immigrant do not understand insurance and the little who do, their insurance many times is not accepted.
With Obama care there are so many
limitations.
5.
Why
do you think those challenges still persist?
The US system is made and constructed to
benefit the White Americans. Institutional racism (big part!!) still exits….whole society is made to gear to
benefit mainstream people. There is a micro-aggression EVERYWHERE.
Even myself as a Korean nurse I have experienced micro-aggression, up until this day.
The whole micro and macro system will
only change if we consider culture.
6.
What
models within your workforce have worked to encourage health equity?
Not very familiar with specific models that encourage health equity, but I like models from NIH and a social determinants model from WHO.
But going back to the systemic changes, we need to prioritize big macro level changes. We need to start thinking about selling points to adapt these macro systemic changes. We need to start brainstorming how to make the whole country face their
perceptions; how to disseminate those policies into micro-level as well.
Essentially, I like to use ecological model- not easy to
test but really useful at looking big picture.
7.
At
the beginning of your career, what were some root causes for health inequities
and health disparities? How has those changed (or not at all) following the end
of your career?
In my 20-30 years as a nurse, I've noticed the health of immigrant people getting worse once they live in the US longer. Not a lot of research under Korean population, but there is research within the Mexican American communities, and research shows that these people get physically worse, even mentally. This is growing farther away from health equity. Issues clearly relating to diet, physical activity, discrimination and micro-aggression.
Minority people deal with pre-natal care disadvantages, discrimination, institutional racism and micro-aggression. Personally, my career is going away from health equity, but what is changing is the effort from the government (or more that efforts are increasing). However, outside it looks like it has been increasing, but not PENETRATED into culture changes. Without cultural changes in micro-aggression issues, we have a long way to go.
In my 20-30 years as a nurse, I've noticed the health of immigrant people getting worse once they live in the US longer. Not a lot of research under Korean population, but there is research within the Mexican American communities, and research shows that these people get physically worse, even mentally. This is growing farther away from health equity. Issues clearly relating to diet, physical activity, discrimination and micro-aggression.
Minority people deal with pre-natal care disadvantages, discrimination, institutional racism and micro-aggression. Personally, my career is going away from health equity, but what is changing is the effort from the government (or more that efforts are increasing). However, outside it looks like it has been increasing, but not PENETRATED into culture changes. Without cultural changes in micro-aggression issues, we have a long way to go.
