National Hospital Week and BB King…

Today is the final day of our week-long celebration of National Hospital Week, and I’m feeling a little melancholy. By now I’m sure you heard that blues legend BB King passed away last night.

BB was a hero to me and darn near any rock/blues musician. Today at noon, VMC’s “house band” Idol Hands will be performing for the staff as we offer gourmet food at a deeply-reduced price. Just our way of saying THANK YOU to the selfless and essential team at Valley Medical Center.

And, so, we’ll be playing some blues today in tribute to The King. Here’s something to think about: BB King was 89 when he passed. That means he outlived the average life expectancy of African American men by at least eleven years. Depending on the source, it could be as high as 16 years…and for African American men born in Mississippi (as BB was), tack on another four years.

We have a great deal of work to do in this country regarding the social determinants of health. For more on that, check out the World Health Organization’s website or locally, The Health Trust. And remember, BB King has passed but the thrill is NOT gone!

I hope everyone had a great National Hospital Week. Cheers and good health to you.