by Bruce L. Davidson, M.D., M.P.H.
King County has more than triple infant mortality in Black babies compared to white babies. In my opinion, it’s because UW restricts our public-owned hospitals for high-paid surgery — a cash cow for top UW surgeons and administrators — limiting maternity.
Continue reading OPINION | Black Infant Mortality in King County Is Already Over Triple the White Rateby Rosette Royale
The Emerald is a blueprint to showing, sharing, and bridging Black and Brown folks through the power of storytelling. The Emerald is what we should be truly striving for as a community. Don’t just talk about it. Create a way to practice and be about us coming together. The Emerald is setting the example. Join me in supporting the Emerald as a recurring donor during their 8th anniversary campaign, Ripples & Sparks at Home, April 20–28. Become a Rainmaker today by choosing the “recurring donor” option on the donation page! —Sharon Nyree Williams, Artist, Orator, & Rainmaker
Everyone lost to gun violence is someone’s beloved. Beloved is a multi-media campaign exploring gun violence in-depth in four phases: The Problem of gun violence as a symptom of illness (or infection) caused by systemic inequality; The History of gun violence, root causes, and local and national data trends. The Solutions to end gun violence including King County Public Health’s regional approach to gun violence prevention and treatments; and finally, the ideation of a world without gun violence, The Beloved Community. The Beloved project is brought to you in partnership with Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Hope Corps program, King County’s Public Health team, Converge Media, Black Coffee Northwest, Toybox Consulting, Creative Justice, The Facts Newspaper, Forever Safe Spaces, Northwest African American Museum, Presidential Media, and the South Seattle Emerald.
When a gunshot is fired in King County, Khalid Adams finds out through an alert on his phone. Then his time as a violence interrupter begins.
Continue reading Regional Peacekeepers Seek to Keep Community Members — and Hope — Aliveby Ashley Archibald
Roughly 60% of Washingtonians aged 16 and above have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. That’s progress — but still short of the 70% goal, health officials said at a press conference on May 26.
Vaccines are the “road to the future,” said Umair Shah, Washington State’s secretary of health.
Continue reading Washington Vaccinations Still Short of Public Health Goalcurated by Emerald Staff
Auburn Vaccination Center Now Offering Car-Side Service on Mondays — From PHSKC: On Mondays only, beginning May 10, the Auburn vaccination clinic is offering car-side service for those who cannot easily walk into the clinic. Just let a greeter know upon arrival that car-side service is needed. Find directions to the Auburn location at https://kingcounty.gov/vaccine
Continue reading NEWS GLEAMS: Vaccines, Seattle Parks Summer Jobs, Share Your ‘Seattle Histories,’ & More!curated by Emerald Staff
Appointments No Longer Required at Lumen Field, Rainier Beach, and West Seattle Vaccination Sites — Those who live or work in King County can now walk up or drive to three City of Seattle COVID-19 vaccination sites without an appointment. People who have not yet received a dose can now receive their first or second dose at three locations: Lumen Field, Rainier Beach, and West Seattle. At the time of vaccination, if required, patients will be signed up for an appointment for their second dose.
According to the Mayor’s Office the locations and times of the centers are:
by Carolyn Bick
Kel Murphy-Duford — the 30-year-old man who had been unconscious and on a ventilator at Harborview Medical Center, following his arrest on the evening of Nov. 4 — now appears to be awake and is recuperating. He has since been discharged from the hospital, according to Harborview’s media department.
Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers originally arrested Murphy-Duford on the evening of Nov. 4, claiming he was engaging in property damage. During his arrest, Murphy-Duford apparently suffered a medical emergency that rendered him unconscious, but it is unclear what triggered the emergency. Emergency personnel allegedly said that the man had a seizure. He was subsequently taken to Harborview, where he remained unconscious on a ventilator for several days.
Continue reading Hospitalized Demonstrator Now Awake, But Says SPD Withholding Insulin Delivery Systemby Carolyn Bick
A young man is on a ventilator at Harborview Medical Center, following his arrest for alleged property damage outside the East Precinct, during a protest in support of voting rights and against systemic racism in Capitol Hill on Nov. 4, 2020. The Emerald briefly touched on the incident in a story published yesterday, but misidentified the person as woman, based on the immediately available information.
The young man has since been identified as 30-year-old Kel Murphy-Duford, according to a Converge Media interview shared in full with the Emerald. In this same interview, Murphy-Duford’s lawyers said that multiple protestors who don’t know each other told them they saw officers “tackle and throw” Murphy-Duford to the ground, and that at least five officers “jumped” on top of Murphy-Duford, as he was lying unconscious on the ground. Bodyworn video released by the Seattle Police Department appears to show Murphy-Duford unresponsive, after the officers arrest him.
Emergency personnel told Murphy-Duford’s husband that he had a seizure and was suffering from “low oxygen” — but Murphy-Duford does not have a history of seizures, said a source who knows the man. It is also unclear whether or not Murphy-Duford was responsive the entire time officers were arresting him.
SPD later revised their SPD Blotter entry about the arrest to claim that Murphy-Duford’s alleged seizure was “potentially related to a substance the subject had ingested prior to police contact,” but his lawyers told the Emerald in an email that “[n]o one has released ANY medical information to [the Force Investigation Team (FIT)] or SPD. Doctors have not indicated at any point that there is any ‘substance’ responsible for our client’s condition.”
Continue reading Person With No Reported History of Seizures Said to Be on Ventilator, Following Alleged Seizure Upon Arrestcompiled by Emerald Staff
UW Medicine is no exception to health care systems throughout the nation — all experiencing financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on current forecasts, UW Medicine expects its financial losses will exceed $500 million by the end of the summer. This financial projection reflects substantial lost clinical revenue due to the cancellation of non-emergency and elective procedures and the high cost of treating patients with COVID-19.
Continue reading UW Medicine Announces $500 Million in Financial Losses by Fall
