Early detection and prevention are key factors to better healthcare
Christine Phatax, Tanisha Heard, and Sheena Guthrie, co-leads of the African American Employee Resource Group, host a Black History Month information table in the Olympus Corporation of the Americas’ Center Valley headquarters.
CENTER VALLEY, Pa., (February 29, 2024) – During Black History Month, Olympus Corporation of the Americas is emphasizing the importance of allyship in promoting equitable access to healthcare for all communities.
Issues of health equity are crucial to Black Americans due to historical, social, and systemic factors that have led to disparities in healthcare access, outcomes, and overall well-being. Olympus, a leading provider of equipment used for colon cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment, continues to support and advocate for equitable access to preventive health screenings like colonoscopy for Black Americans of recommended screening age. As an employer and a leading provider of medical technologies used for colon cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment, Olympus practices allyship through coverage of colonoscopy for all Olympus employees. The company’s African American Employee Resource Group (ERG) is instrumental in furthering the message about the importance of screening and early cancer detection among its membership.
“Allyship is the act of supporting and advocating for people who have not had equal access to valuable resources such as healthcare. Our ERG is a platform from which Olympus employees of all ethnicities can use their employee-based community to promote equitable access to health care,” said Tanisha Heard, Salesforce Adoption Analyst and co-lead of the African American ERG at OCA. “What we can do collectively, by sharing our power as a group, is much greater than our individual efforts. We also recognize that the burden of effecting change shouldn’t sit with any one underrepresented group.”
Colon cancer statistics underscore the need to increase awareness, education and access to screenings. Colon cancer death rates are 40% higher for Black Americans who are less likely to get screened, often resulting in advanced diagnoses.i Additionally, in a recent survey conducted by The Harris Pollii for Olympus Corporation of the Americas (OCA), Black Americans (59%) were less likely than their white counterparts (68%) to know that current recommendations indicate that colon cancer screening should start at 45. Furthermore, 31% of Black Americans surveyed incorrectly believed only those at high risk of developing colon cancer need to get a colon cancer screening.
The African American ERG recently hosted an allyship panel that challenged employees to fully express the organization’s core values of Empathy and Patient Focus in considering their roles as allies. The event aimed to build awareness that Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not for one group only, or several distinct groups of people, but are crucial to the success of the company and the communities in which our employees live.
This Black History Month, Olympus celebrates the ongoing contributions and resilience of its employees to build allyship. Olympus further encourages Black Americans and their allies to prioritize health and screening – and to be vocal with employers and family members about the importance of making time for the priority of health and wellness.
# # #
i American Cancer Society, “Colorectal Cancer Rates Higher in African Americans, Rising in Younger People.” Pub. September 2020
ii The survey was conducted online with the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Olympus between Feb. 23-27, 2023, among 2,027 U.S. adults ages 18+.