Black History Month Profile: Dr. Franklin Robey
Throughout February’s celebration of Black History Month, the Black Ties for Culture employee resource group (ERG) presents a series of profiles spotlighting the achievements of African American health care pioneers.
Dr. Franklin Robey, a former slave, is recognized as one of the first African American physicians to practice in the Houston area.
Following the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Robey, like many newly freed slaves, pursued an education through the schools created following the Civil War to provide education to the African American population. He went on to earn his medical degree from Nashville’s Meharry Medical School in 1883. Opened in 1876, the institution was the first medical school for African Americans in the American south.
When Robey and his family moved to Houston, no hospital in the city admitted African Americans, requiring doctors to make house calls to provide treatment. Robey practiced for many years in Houston until his death in 1904.
Nation of Lifesavers Campaign Aims to Save Lives
In celebration of Black History Month and the American Heart Association’s (AHA) recognition of February as American Heart Month, the organization is launching its Nation of Lifesavers campaign. The initiative emphasizes the importance of promoting heart health education and encouraging increased CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training for residents living in predominately African American neighborhoods.
According to the AHA, African Americans have the highest incidence of cardiac arrest occurring outside of the hospital setting and are significantly less likely to survive. Studies show that lower rates of both bystander CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) use in these neighborhoods may contribute to lower survival rates. CPR or AED treatments, when immediately administered after cardiac arrest, can double or even triple the chance of survival. To learn more and to find a CPR course in your area, click HERE.
2024 Interfaith Holidays Calendar Available
Click HERE to see the list of 2024 interfaith holidays and observances.
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