By scolding black parents, PG misses the point

Your editorial "Unhealthy Suspicion: A Study Reveals Harsh Attitudes Toward Medicine" (Feb. 6) highlights our scientific finding that black parents were more distrusting of medical research than white parents. Distrust may be a barrier for enrollment of black children into clinical research.

However, calling the response of black parents the "... height of irresponsibility -- and superstition" is offensive and misses the point. Racial discrimination in medicine and research would be easy to ignore were it not so well documented. In 2002, researchers documented that African-American patients, even with the same insurance coverage, income and disease, receive worse medical care than their white counterparts. These are the facts, not superstitious conspiracy theories.

Here in Pittsburgh, as long as African Americans live sicker and die younger than their white neighbors, there is reason for their legitimate discontent.

Increasing the diversity of the health professions work force could help create a more trustworthy system for African-American patients. However, health professionals and institutions must also be vigilant in ensuring that all patients, regardless of income, race, sexual orientation or religion, are treated equally.

Finally, our finding that 50 percent of white and 67 percent of black parents "distrust medical research" extends concern beyond African-American parents. Academic medical centers, in Pittsburgh and elsewhere, must be more effective in educating both black and white communities about the value of participating in biomedical research. Health researchers must become more effective in translating our research into services that can improve the health of all our families. This approach will go a long way toward improving trust.

STEPHEN B. THOMAS, Ph.D.
Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh
KUMARAVEL RAJAKUMAR, M.D.
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
Oakland

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Communication key

Your Feb. 6 editorial "Unhealthy Suspicion" leaves the reader with a misguided impression of why African-American parents are reluctant to participate in clinical trials at Children's Hospital.

The real explanation is not the horrific Tuskegee experiments but rather the parents' experiential history of regular encounters with a sometimes insensitive delivery system too busy to explain in layman's terms the details of a procedure or care provided.

In research for my book, "Doctor, Can You Hear Me? Patient, Are You Listening?" I interviewed 1,500 patients, white and African American. More than half of them recounted, with anger, frustration and resignation, their failed attempts to communicate with their doctors.

I would suggest that your simplistic admonition for parents to become "more sophisticated" should include an admonition to care providers to take a moment to listen and to hear the parents' need to understand the system and environment. A clear understanding will encourage parents to partner in the care of their children.

When parents hear and physicians listen, the outcome will always benefit the child/patient.

MARGARET S. WASHINGTON
Homewood-Brushton

The writer served for 23 years as executive director of the End-Stage Renal Disease Network operating out of UPMC. She currently speaks to professional and community audiences on doctor-patient relationships.

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Not the answer

Regarding the Feb. 15 "Asides," your comments on Glen Meakem and his issue with Sen. Arlen Specter presented what the media have continued to represent relative to the so-called stimulus bill: a false premise.

Mr. Meakem has issues with Mr. Specter's vote in favor of this bill. His issues with Sen. Specter relate to basic fiscal conservative principles. Mr. Meakem's approach was not to "do nothing," as you suggested, but rather to do something that was, in fact, stimulative and created an environment that would foster the creation of jobs, and not pass a bill loaded with funding for programs that have little to nothing to do with creating jobs.

Government is not the solution to the human condition, and more government is clearly not the answer to what ails this country right now. We spent our way into this mess ... more spending is not the answer.

CATHERINE CAPONI
Jefferson Hills

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Stimulus campaign

Congressional members have been highly critical (and rightfully so) of the CEOs of the Big Three automakers flying corporate jets to Washington, D.C., to beg for bailout funds. But I have heard no criticism from those same congressional members of President Obama's having flown around the country (at taxpayers' expense) campaigning for his stimulus bill and other pet projects.

Has Congress been applying a double standard here?

When does Mr. Obama plan to stop campaigning and start governing?

RICHARD JACKSON
North Fayette

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O, the memories

I loved the article in Sunday's paper about Sid Simon, who was head of a true Pittsburgh landmark, the Original Hot Dog Shop ("All About the 'O,' " The Next Page, Feb. 15).

It was 1978 and "Shattered" by the Rolling Stones was blaring from inside the O's jukebox. Behind the hot dog counter were Sid and his kids, Larry and Bruce, with Terry back working the fries.

An assortment of musicians, students, academicians, artists and others were gathered together en force to serve hot dogs and beer to the locals who gathered there. Steve Abreu, Bob Price, Karl Mullen, Pete MacBeth, Phil Ciotti, Michael Doman, Mick and an old guy named Tony were all behind the counter greeting customers. A short, friendly security guard was there every time I went until he was shot and killed by a burglar in the Market Square state store at his other job.

In my life, the O was a bridge from college to the rest of my life. It was and is a gathering place like no other, and I for one am glad it's still there. I'll keep my Big "O" T-shirt for old time's sake, and stop to get a hot dog the next time I'm in Oakland.

JEANNIE BOHINCE
Level Green

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Communities must be vigilant to protect old properties

I am responding to the Feb. 17 editorial regarding historic designation of the Old Stone Inn in the West End ("This Old House"). This is a nomination all of us should support.

But the bigger issue is that preservation should not be seen as a last-minute option or used as a "battering ram" to prevent development. Rather, historic preservation should be employed as a planning tool to guide development before a property becomes too derelict to be saved.

There are some cases when preservation is a measure of last resort to save historic sites. But the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh has urged from its outset for the community to be more vigilant of historic properties that could be at risk and to take action before the issue becomes contentious.

This is why we issued the report "Unprotected Pittsburgh" in 2006 that details 130 properties in the city of Pittsburgh that are not protected city historic landmarks.

These include the former Kaufmann's (now Macy's) department store, the modernist icon Regional Enterprise Tower (former Alcoa headquarters), the Duquesne Incline and the home of Robert L. Vann, founder of the Pittsburgh Courier, in Homewood.

More sites can and should be added to the city's inventory of historic properties long before they stir up controversy or become neglected and abandoned.

The city of Pittsburgh historic preservation code empowers citizens to protect and preserve the city's valuable historic legacy. But it seems this power is used too seldom or as a last-minute response to an issue that should have been on the community's radar screen for many years.

DAN HOLLAND
Chief Executive Officer
Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh
Homestead

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