Erik Angus

Examining Health Inequities (Part 3) – Leading Causes of Death

The changes in the cause of death from 1900 to 2016 tells us a lot about the healthcare needs today and how they have changed over time. Evaluating the leading causes of death each year is one of the most important pieces of information that can be used to focus on improving a communities’ healthcare outcomes.

Examining Health Inequities (Part 2) – Moving Upstream

This examining health inequities series is created as a part of being a student in Examining Health Inequities at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where I am challenged to examine health inequities and provide my own opinion.

Summary and assessment of Moving Upstream: How Interventions that Address the Social Determinants of Health can Improve Health and Reduce Disparities

Examining Health Inequities (Part 1) – Culture of Competitiveness

The United States of America has a culture built upon a philosophy and culture of competitiveness. As someone who has played and watched team sports my entire life, I have always been enamored by the idea of equality in sports. Every day there was an intrinsic belief by myself and my teammates that if you just work harder you will get better and you will win.

My Experience as a Guest Lecturer

Throughout my undergraduate and graduate education, my favorite professors have always been the adjunct professors, the educators that also work as industry professionals. These professors always seemed to have a unique ability to share their industry experience and knowledge and most importantly tie what I am learning in the classroom directly to their work as professionals. One of my long-term professional goals has always been to be an adjunct professor where I could share my professional and industry experience in a university classroom. In March 2021 I was presented with an opportunity taking a big step towards this goal. I was invited to serve as a guest lecturer for an undergraduate course at the University of Cincinnati covering healthcare information technology.

Work Life Integration

Today marks the 365th day of working from home. On March 12th, 2020, my team was told to pack up our belongings and wait to hear more about how our work environment was going to change as a new understanding was met about the deadly spread and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were truly in a liminal space.

Global Health Executive Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the danger and positive impact of globalization and a global world. As a Master in Public Health candidate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, I was tasked with developing a two-page Executive Summary for public health leader that highlighted what global health is and its impact, characteristics of the US Healthcare System, characteristics of another country’s healthcare system, and provide recommendations in regards to these topics for this public health leader.

26th Mid-Year Checkpoint

Every year on my birthday I go through a reflection on the past year (Looking Back on Year 25), and set goals for the next year (Looking Forward to Year 26) using my goal setting process. With a late Spring birthday, the new year presents the perfect opportunity to check my progress on the year and realign my daily habits to accomplishing my vision for the year.

The Power of People and Ideas

One of my mentors once told me that you are the product of the people you spend your time with, and this statement has been core to my actions and life throughout the last three years. However, my perspective on this has expanded recently. One of my friends proposed a change, instead saying, “you are the product of the people and the ideas that you surround yourself with.”

Paying it Forward

“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.” – Henry David Thoreau

Throughout my life I have always chased after opportunities to learn and develop myself. Due to this passion for growth, a strong program of development opportunities for employees was always a key item in where I wanted to work and build a career. Thankfully, all of my employers have always surpassed this desire, and in early December I had the opportunity to complete Cerner Corporation’s six-month Rising Star Program, a program designed for associates early in their career that have been identified as high potential leaders.

It is a privilege to help someone die.

On November 25th, 2020, Charlie Carraher passed away. To many he was a family man, World War II veteran, community leader, inspirational speaker, businessman, friend, mentor, and so much more. To me, he was Grandpa. One of the best parts of marriage is bonus family, and Grandpa Charlie has been nothing less than a blessed addition to my life. No one knew how to Encourage the Heart better than Grandpa Charlie. You can read more about the impact and legacy that he left in his obituary written by my wife and his granddaughter, Ellie.