Working Towards a Healthier Future - Nate Miles
Inequality and bias are present everywhere, even in places where people should feel the most safe such as a doctor’s office. Lack of access and years of maltreatment have lead many African American men to not trust health professionals. As an African American man who survived a brain tumor with the help of health professionals, I want to aid in the accessibility issues apprehension that prevents many men from going to the doctor.
I was interviewed by the Heart & Soul magazine about my career and life’ mission, we talked about my life changing experience and aspirations.
“Having survived a near-death experience, really has made me truly more appreciative of life every day. I never did take life for granted, but now every day when I wake up, I have a new sense of appreciation for seeing the sunshine, my children and all of the blessings God has bestowed upon me. It takes far more to get me upset than it used to, and I hold onto the things that do get under my skin, for a lot shorter time. I also have a greater desire to help bring about a healthcare system that is open and affordable to more people, as it is clear to me that having a comprehensive healthcare plan was essential to my recovery. I am convinced, especially as an African-American, that were we to have more adequate healthcare in our community, the life expectancy of Communities of Color would dramatically increase.
“I believe the solution to get more Black men to go to the doctor is simple…EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION! it’s going to take a massive education campaign about how much longer they can live. I think we’re going to have to have a heart-to-heart discussion about issues like The Tuskegee Experiment, in order to get that travesty behind us. I believe running a comprehensive, culturally-sensitive ad campaign that highlights the benefits of going to the doctor should be done. This campaign should feature a bunch of prominent African-American males who have survived brushes with death, women who talk about life without their husbands, and children who talk about the pain of losing a father.
“I believe that we could partner with churches and create some sort of a faith based programs. We should have ministers preach from the pulpit the value of having the men of the church get regular check up’s. They can even have health fairs at the church, so that these men can get some of the basic health checks done without even having to go to the doctor. These tests being done in a church removes much of the uneasiness that many men have about going to a doctor’s office if it’s done in the comfort of their own churches.”
About Nate Miles: Nate is a visionary leader with expertise in transforming businesses. He has extensive experience with running boards, fundraising, strategic planning, and program development. Nate operates on his personal strategy ‘Total Engaged Teamwork.’ He strives to create unity and collaboration to close gaps that separate groups of people, ultimately hoping to better society and the organizations he is involved in. He currently serves as the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and State Government Affairs for Eli and Lilly Company and holds several board positions.
