Racism in Modern Medicine

 “The cosmic whirling of God’s great slot machine has not determined that some people are fated to suffer while others flourish. We have the resources to take care of everyone, and yet we refuse to do so.” 

(Faust, 2019, p. xiii)

    The book Health Justice Now (Faust, 2019) sheds light on the many flaws of America’s healthcare system. It focuses on how our country has failed millions of Americans by letting them live uninsured and untreated, while also advocating for a single-payer healthcare system. One of the issues Faust touches on in his book is the systemic racism that plagues our healthcare system. People of color are subjected to inadequate health services, unsafe housing in toxic living environments, and access to poor quality (or limited) food—factors that lead to increased health issues and reduced life expectancy. These disparities do not exist by accident. They have existed in the United States for decades because people in power chose to overlook Americans’ suffering and focus their attention on wars and politics. And while they did this, tens of thousands of people have died every year from medical problems that could have been treated.

One of the most concerning facts I've learned in my research about our healthcare system is that black women are up to five times more likely to die in childbirth than white women. And the scariest fact? A significant portion of the deaths could have been prevented. According to the American Heart Association, contributing factors include lack of care, poor quality care, and black women simply being undervalued (AHA News, 2019). Their symptoms or complaints are downplayed by medical staff and the women go overlooked. In the video below, a woman shares her pregnancy story and the racism she faced when giving birth to her first child. Medical providers also share their perspectives on why black women receive inadequate care--from stereotypes about the "angry black woman" to insufficient education.

     The video below provides examples of policy changes we can implement to challenge racial disparities in our medical system. Students at Ichan School of Medicine in New York partnered with community groups to create an anti-racism coalition. They initiated dialogue with their professors about flaws in the curriculum, educated them on verbiage and how to be anti-racist, and effectively changed/created courses to reflect updated teachings. I believe that it is important for all medical schools to go about implementing this change. Additionally, it would be beneficial for doctors in our country to partake in anti-racism training. The American Heart Association (2019) reports that some hospitals "have implemented training on implicit or unconscious bias to think about how people's backgrounds and unconsciousness may be affecting their care". While this is important, I also believe there should be a method for patients to report medical staff for unethical treatment. This could be a great opportunity for hospital social workers to step in and advocate for a patient's rights--especially if a mother is telling her doctor that something is wrong and the doctor chooses not to believe her.

  

References:

• American Heart Association News (2019). Why are black women at such high risk of dying from pregnancy complications? Retrieved October 20, 2020 from https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/02/20/why-are-black-women-at-such-high-risk-of-dying-from-pregnancy-complications 
• Faust, T. (2019). Health Justice Now: Single Payer and What Comes Next. Melville House. Kindle Edition.