Donaven Gross – Urban Health Fellow

Student Reflection, 7/17/14

“Today we learned about lung cancer. Lung cancer treatment requires a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy as well as newer experimental methods. Lung cancer is predominantly a disease of the elderly. Almost 70% of people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 years of age and older while less than 3% of lung cancer patients are 45 years of age and under. This is very important because there are a good amount of elders in Inglewood.”

– Donaven Gross

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The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, in a 2009 report stated, the death rate for African Americans was higher than Whites for heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and homicide.

In response to the health crises impacting communities of color, SJLI with funding from The California Wellness Foundation has developed a five-week, hands-on internship and training fellowship. A Fellow wrote the preceding journal entry during his Urban Health Fellowship training.