White Coats For Black Lives: Toward Racial Equality In Health Care

WBUR-FM, Boston's National Public Radio Station ^ | January 19, 2015 | Rachel Zimmerman

[2ndDivisionVet]

Acknowledging the public health impact of racism and deep disparities in the quality and accessibility of medical care for patients of color, a national organization, White Coats for Black Lives, says it’s launching a new effort today, in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dorothy Charles, one of the group’s organizers and a first year medical student at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, offers some context in an email:

Racism profoundly impacts people of color: the black-white mortality gap in 2002, for example, accounted for 83,570 excess deaths. As future physicians, we are responsible for addressing the perpetuation of racism by medical institutions and seek policy change to eliminate disparities in outcomes.

Here’s a statement from the White Coats for Black Lives National Steering Committee:

Upon matriculating in medical school, students recite the Hippocratic Oath, declaring their commitment to promoting the health and well-being of their communities. On December 10, 2014, students from over 80 medical schools across the United States acted in the spirit of that oath as we participated in a “die in” to protest racism and police brutality. In our action, we called attention to grim facts about the public health consequences of racism, acknowledged the complicity of the medical profession in sustaining racial inequality, and challenged a system of medical care that denies necessary treatment to patients unable to pay for it, disproportionately patients of color.

Today, in celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we announce the founding of a national medical student organization, White Coats for Black Lives. This organization brings together medical students from across the country to pursue three primary goals:

1. To eliminate racism as a public health hazard

Racism has a devastating impact on the health and well-being of people of color. Tremendous disparities in housing, education, and job opportunities cut short the average Black life by four years. Physicians, physician organizations, and medical institutions must therefore publicly recognize and fight against the significant adverse effects of racism on public health. We additionally advocate for increased funding and promotion of research on the health effects of racism.

2. To end racial discrimination in medical care

We recognize that insurance status serves in our healthcare system as a “colorblind” means of racial discrimination. While it is illegal to turn patients away from a hospital or practice because of their race, patients across the country are frequently denied care because they have public insurance or lack health insurance. We support the creation of a single payer national health insurance system that would give all Americans equal access to the healthcare they need. Such a system would create a payment structure that reflects the fact that “Black lives matter.” Moreover, ample evidence suggests that patients of color receive inferior care even when they are able to see a doctor or nurse; we therefore advocate for the allocation of funding for research on unconscious bias and racism in the delivery of medical care.

3. To create a physician workforce engaged with the struggle for racial justice

Adequately addressing the health effects of racism within and outside of medicine requires a physician workforce that fully reflects our nation’s diversity. Black people currently comprise only 4% of the physician workforce, despite making up 13% of the national (and patient) population; Latino and Native American students are similarly underrepresented. We call on medical schools to improve the recruitment and support of Black, Latino, and Native American medical students and faculty, and to bring their representation in medical schools in line with national demographics. We further call for the creation of national medical school curricular standards that include information about the history of racism in medicine, unconscious racial bias in medical decision making, and strategies for dismantling structural racism.

In founding White Coats for Black Lives, we hope to add our voices to the growing national movement demanding accountability, justice and an end to racism, and we seek to honor our profession’s pledge to counter those forces that might unduly or unjustly cut short the lives of our fellow human beings.

[2ndDivisionVet]

[marron]

Racism profoundly impacts people of color: the black-white mortality gap in 2002, for example, accounted for 83,570 excess deaths.

Until they stop blaming racism for their problems, the problems are unsolvable.

[Frank_2001]

“Single payer” national insurance, eh? You mean Obamacare was just not enough? I’m SHOCKED, I tell you. SHOCKED!!! /sarcasm

[Olog-hai]

Former WSJ too. Must have been on the “we shall have open borders” side.

[Bon mots]

The Black/White mortality gap has nothing to do with white people.

Black people are responsible for their own health. There are a lot of factors - lifestyle, heredity, social class all have a bearing and then the elephant in the corner.

Blacks often go to black doctors - who graduated or got into medical school under laxer standards. With Affirmative Action and ‘race norming’ a black person who would never make it into med school were he/she white, can graduate with honors based purely upon his/her skin color.

Then said doctor goes into the community and butchers patients.

[Dallas59]

Get her out in Chicago at 12:00am on a Saturday night.

[GailA]

BS, it is their LIFE STYLE that brings on the health issues at a much younger age. Get to be 300+ lbs and you increase, heart, diabetes, knee, back, and other health issues. TO FAT TO SHOP has them in electric carts. What is in the CARTS is a heart attack waiting to happen. Or diabetes and it’s related diseases.

I see black, white and India doctors, and they know what is wrong in the black community. Their life styles.

Whites are usually more compliant with medical advice. Asians use alternative medicines way more than drugs. Dangerous drugs at that.

This is the FDA warning drugs I’ve been scripted for for Osteo A. I won’t take a one of them. Nor the ones for
Gastroparesis. Heck a glass of wine kills the pain better.

WARNINGS OP DRUGS Kidney failure deaths, A Fib, Jaw Degeneration and A Typical Femur Fractures

Reclast has the highest warning.

Reclast UPS kidney failure, A FIB risk. Not to be given to Asthma patients.
http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/news/20110901/fda-osteoporsis-drug_ups-kidney-failure-risk

Safety update for osteoporosis drugs, bisphosphonates, and atypical femur fractures, A FIB, Jaw Degeneration, Kidney failure deaths.
http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/drugsafetypodcasts/ucm229800.htm

Black box warning Foreto
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=21853

These are the 2 drugs I’ve been prescribed for
Gastroparesis

DOMPERIDONE, (nearly 60 heart related deaths, and 350 heart related issues)
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/cancer/medicines/motilium.html

New restrictions on use of domperidone issued by the MHRA
http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/news/new-restrictions-on-use-of-domperidone-issued-by-the-mhra/11137797.article

UAE hospitals warned over Domperidone ‘sudden death’ risk
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/medicines/human/referrals/Domperidone-containing_medicines/human_referral_prac_000021.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac05805c516f

Drug can be fatal for elderly patients, says ministry
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/health/uae-hospitals-warned-over-domperidone-sudden-death-risk-1.1348043
http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/news/new-restrictions-on-use-of-domperidone-issued-by-the-mhra/11137797.article

Popular heartburn and anti-nausea drug taken by millions to be curtailed after nearly SIXTY die from heart problems after taking the medication
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2613729/Popular-heartburn-anti-nausea-drug-taken-millions-curtailed-nearly-SIXTY-die-heart-problems-taking-medication.html

Transpyloric Stent
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130703135843.htm

Celiac Plexus Block
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm13wKFRO3s

Marcaine
http://www.rxlist.com/marcaine-drug/patient-images-side-effects.htm

Gastroparesis: Dangers of a “Slow Stomach” Reglan is a 12 week drug
http://www.bottomlinepublications.com/content/article/health-a-healing/gastroparesis-dangers-of-a-slow-stomach

Reglan side effects
http://www.rxlist.com/reglan-side-effects-drug-center.htm

[GailA]

Sounds like the Memphis City Schools. Hubby taught Jr College for 20 yrs, he had to do remedial math for all their A/B honor roll students. Not so with the county or foreign country students.

They can’t even pass the evals for promotion in the police dept. Whites do, and then they scream racism and the entire promotion class gets cancelled. All they want are black officers. Regardless if they are qualified or not. It took our friend a white officer who scored tops in the no name testing, just numbers, more than a decade to make Major.

The other elephant is CRIME.

[Nailbiter]

bflr

[NTHockey]

Unless and until they take a stand on the butchering of babies - black AND white - this is nothing more than pi$$ing in the wind.

[newnhdad]

this is a roundabout way of saying they want to keep critical care from white people.

[freeangel]

I’m sure doroth clark will be willing to charge nothing for the everything is free crowd if and when she graduates.

[Caipirabob]

Cultural values Racism profoundly impacts people of color: the black-white mortality gap in 2002, for example, accounted for 83,570 excess deaths.

Fixed it.

[exDemMom]

Racism profoundly impacts people of color: the black-white mortality gap in 2002, for example, accounted for 83,570 excess deaths.

You know what, little miss Dorothy Charles?

The "racism" is something the black community does to itself. Every time someone works to be a good student, successful, etc., and the black community ostracizes and lambastes that person for "being too white", that is racism rearing its ugly head. If you want to fight racism, you have to tell the race/poverty pimps like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and their ilk that their message is not welcome. You have to stop voting for liberal Democrats who promise they will take care of you when, in reality, their policies are all designed to keep you on the plantation, poor, and voting Democrat. You have to change your culture of institutionalized failure, and encourage all kids to study hard and be successful.

If you successfully purge the racism that liberals/race baiters have been foisting upon the black community at least since LBJ's time, your economic situation might improve and neighborhoods might be safer. Achieve that, and you will have access to better hospitals.

Also, if you want to improve black health outcomes, you might start pushing back against the abortion industry, which disproportionately targets black babies. You see, whenever a woman has an abortion instead of using the available means of preventing pregnancy, her reproductive organs are damaged. One consequence of that is that she becomes less likely to carry future pregnancies to term. This results in increased miscarriage and premature birth, which causes higher infant mortality rates. The effect of abortion on future pregnancies is as damaging as smoking--but while one can stop smoking, abortion damage is permanent.

In short, the "racism" that you rail against is the toxic black culture that you, Dorothy, apparently still embrace. Getting rid of that culture is one of the best things that can be done for black people.

[1010RD]

The Left isn’t about solving problems, but perpetuating them. No -ism has ever been solved in the history of mankind. That’s why the Left loves isms.

You’ll always need central planners and you can’t blame them for not solving an intractable problem.

[bert]

you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink

...................... but you can’t make him think

[IncPen]

Health care rationing will take many, as yet unseen, forms.

[9YearLurker]

Is it racism—or ‘classism’?

If I had to guess, I’d venture that poorly educated white patients who present with the same level of self-care—e.g., obesity,lack of exercise, poor diet—while being treated in Medicaid-loaded hospitals, get the same, limited treatment.

Those patients who neither press for better care nor appear to be the type to do so are less likely to get it.

[ExCTCitizen]

I’m starting the ‘White Uniform for White Skins’ to get more WHITE AMERICANS in the NBA.

[ExCTCitizen]

83,570 excess deaths? Is that due to racism or Black on black crimes?