Issue #8 September 15, 2026

Sickle cell pain care has a one-hour standard

It's Sickle Cell Awareness Month and Suicide Prevention Month. We start with what an adult with sickle cell should get in the ER, then what really happens when you call 988.

Black Health

September 15, 2026

This week from Black Health

It's Sickle Cell Awareness Month and Suicide Prevention Month. We start with what an adult with sickle cell should get in the ER, then what really happens when you call 988.

Editor's pick

Adult Sickle Cell Care: Find a Center and Survive a Pain Crisis

Sickle cell deaths now cluster in the years right after pediatric care ends. The national guideline says an ER should assess your pain and give a first dose within an hour, and one multicenter study measured a 90-minute median. How to find a real adult center and carry a pain plan the ER will follow.

Read the guide →

More this week

Mental health

What Happens When You Call 988: A Guide for Black Callers

A 988 call reaches a counselor in about a minute, costs nothing, and doesn't require your name. SAMHSA says most crises are handled on the call, with 911 brought in only for an imminent risk to life. Plus BlackLine, a Black-run peer line.

Read →

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Medicaid: How to Apply and What Black Mothers Get

Pregnancy Medicaid has the highest income limit of any adult Medicaid group, can start the same day at a clinic, and can pay bills from three months before you applied. You count as a household of two. How to apply, step by step.

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Hair loss

Hair loss in Black women: traction alopecia, CCCA, and what to do early

Traction alopecia can reverse if it's caught early, and CCCA, the most common scarring hair loss in Black women, destroys follicles for good once scar tissue forms. The signs that mean book a dermatologist now: thinning edges, a widening crown, scalp tenderness or breakage.

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Book a dermatology visit this week

The guide above says early care is what saves the follicle. Sesame lists dermatology visits, online and in person, with the self-pay price shown before you book.

Have insurance? Call the number on your card for an in-network dermatologist first. Without it, a community health center charges by income and can't turn you away for inability to pay.

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Featured provider

Monica Money, MS, CRC, LCMHC

Mental Health Counseling · Durham, NC

A licensed clinical mental health counselor in Durham, practicing since 2014. She sees adults and teens 14 and up, offers telehealth across North Carolina, and is taking new patients.

See the profile →

Mark your calendar

Sep 16 · Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 55th Annual Legislative Conference 2026 · Washington, DC

Sep 16 · 2026 Black & Brown Birthing Summit · Saint Paul, MN

Sep 16 · NBDA Journey to the Doula (Virtual Session) · Virtual

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Jada Williams · Black Health

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