For the month of February, we're going to shine a spotlight on individuals who are moving Black History forward through their research. This mix of students and faculty represent a variety of disciplines across the University, and their scope ranges from the pulpit to nanotechnology. These individuals stand on the shoulders of the many trailblazers before them, including E. Franklin Frazier, Toni Morrison, and Pauli Murray, and like their predecessors, their research will inspire many generations to come.

Tiffany Simmons is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, where she is the course coordinator for Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing and Community Health Nursing. Ms. Simmons is also a co-faculty for Intro to Professional Nursing. Her research is "Racial Disparities Lead to Poor Quality of Life for African American Patients." She emphasizes that despite the many strides to improve health in the United States, the gap between pain assessment and implementation of pain management strategies in African Americans is significant. This work is important for Black Studies because African Americans receive inadequate evaluation and care and develop pain complications as a result. Ultimately this leads to a disproportionate burden in disease morbidity, mortality, disability, and injury for African Americans.

Healthcare providers must acknowledge that patients from different cultures may find it difficult to voice their pain management preferences due to several factors such as language barriers, beliefs, cultural norms/practices, socioeconomic state, and mental status. Healthcare providers must bridge these challenges, expand their knowledge and expertise, and partner with others to effectively provide culturally appropriate care.

#WeAreBlackHistory