It has been two weeks since George Floyd was murdered by police in Minneapolis. Since then, millions of people have joined protests in major cities and small rural towns around the world to make their voices 
heard. They have said enough is enough, racism must end and real change is needed.
When the protests end and our national focus begins to shift, we can not go back to business as usual. The statements of support and solidarity made by so many these past two weeks must turn into action.
At the local, state, and federal level we must hold our government leaders accountable for change and exercise our right to vote for those committed to change. With the focus on police brutality, we are beginning to hear some major cities announce planned changes in policing. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has introduced his “Say Their Name” agenda to reform policing in New York state. House and Senate Democrats have introduced the Justice in Policing Act.
In recent days, we have seen many “white coat” rallies as well – White Coats for Black Lives. My social media feeds are filled with pictures and stories of hospital staff rallies – many of them organized by the residents. Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, UMass Memorial in Worcester, Massachusetts, and Henry Ford Health System in Detroit were just a few of them. And these are hospitals who saw thousands of COVID-19 patients in recent months. Truly our healthcare heroes.
In 2014, after Michael Brown was shot by police in Ferguson, we saw similar support. Students at 70 medical schools around the country organized a national white coat die-in saying it was an “important time for medical institutions to respond to the violence and race-related trauma that affect our communities and the patients we serve”. They lay down for fifteen and a half minutes. Eleven minutes to represent the number of times that Eric Garner said “I can’t breathe” as he was in a choke hold by police in New York City and four and a half minutes to represent the four and a half hours that Michael Brown’s body lay in the street after being shot by a police officer. And yet here we are in 2020.
These hospital staff rallies along with the many statements of support from hospital and health system CEOs are an important show of support but we also need action and attention to health disparities. I want to share two heartfelt CEO statements that were the most impactful for me. They are from healthcare leaders I have worked with and greatly respect.
Lloyd Dean, CEO at CommonSpirit Health, wrote a very strong statement on June 1st:
“Throughout my career, the impacts of systemic racism have been visible every day. My hope is that the image of Officer Dererk Chauvin pressing his knee into George Floyd for nearly 10 minutes makes systemic racism visible to everyone. This is the time for all good people to demand justice, truth, and dignity for all.
We already have been pointing to the dramatically disparate impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had. More than 40 percent of COVID-19 cases in the United States are among African Americans and other minorities. Many of these people work or worked in health care, transportation, emergency, or other essential services, yet our society fails to treat them with the dignity that every American not only deserves but is also entitled to under the U.S. Constitution.
Disparities in health status among Americans clearly based on race are nothing new to us. Solving for these problems is at the heart of what we do at CommonSpirit Health. We provide health care to all who are in need. That’s our starting point, but racial inequity is far more than a health issue.
Health problems begin with and are exacerbated by so many other factors, from housing to hunger, education to employment. Access to health care is a critical factor that we and other health care systems work so hard on, but we need an entire nation committed to addressing all of the reasons why health equity is so elusive — just as we must commit to equal justice for all.”
Betsy Nabel, MD, Brigham Health President, said this in her message to the Brigham family last week (excerpts):
“I am writing with a heavy heart. For the past several months, our Brigham community has worked tirelessly, sacrificing, in many cases, our own personal well-being, to ensure every person who came to us needing care had the best possible outcome. As health care workers, we know first-hand how precious life is.
While we as an organization have been hyper-focused on caring for our patients, their loved ones and each other, the world outside of our walls has become ugly. The recent acts of senseless violence and hatred in Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota and New York have amplified the racism and inequities that exist in our society. The images from these events have become, for me, too much to bear. But we cannot, and we must not, look away.
Instead, we, as a community, must come together and actively do everything within our power — locally, nationally, and globally — to root out racism, inequity and injustice. As the last few months have reminded us, the Brigham is a place of hope and healing, and together, we can accomplish extraordinary things.”
As Betsy said, we cannot, and we must not, look away. Health disparities are real, and race is a key factor. A June 2nd Becker’s Hospital Review article, “Racial disparities & COVID-19: Why it matters in healthcare”, provides data on how people of color have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and why. Health systems must address these disparities as they provide care to their communities. My colleagues in IT may ask, what can I do? Technology can play a role. A June 5th Becker’s Health IT article covers how several health systems are using technology to collect data and mobilize their response to broaden access to care.
The Center for Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital is an example of the kind of program health systems need. As their website says: “We believe that your health should not depend on where you were born, where you live or your economic status. To this end, we are committed to advancing systems of care, research, and community programs that elevate the health status of the communities we serve. Our programs address real life issues that can affect health outcomes among the diverse populations in Boston.” Spurred by COVID-19, Mount Sinai Health System in New York City launched the Institute for Health Equity Research (IHER) in May. I hope there are or will be soon many more of these programs around the country.
As I was working on this week’s blog post, I took my usual break for the long daily dog walk. I shifted from my usual “go to” podcast series (ThisWeekinHealthIT) to one of my new favorite podcast series – In the Bubble With Andy Slavitt. The timing was perfect. The June 8th podcast is “Living Through Two Public Health Crises” with Dr. Leana Wen, former Baltimore City Health Commissioner. Dr. Wen tried to talk about racism as a public health crisis in 2015 when Freddie Gray died in police custody in Baltimore. People weren’t ready to think that way then. The podcast covers the intersection of racism and COVID-19 as two public health crises, health disparities and social determinants of health (SDOH), and the concept of “harm reduction”. It is well worth 45 minutes of your time to listen to their discussion. Dr. Wen also wrote an excellent op-ed piece on June 2nd in the Washington Post.
In our families, communities, and workplaces, we must continue to speak and act against all forms of racism and injustice. Those of us in healthcare must address health equity issues head on. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. often said, “The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice”. It will take all of us working together to continue to bend it. Educate yourself, find your lane and do your part.
Resources and Related Posts:
Racial disparities & COVID-19: Why it matters in healthcare
In the Bubble podcast with Andy Slavitt: Living Through Two Public Health Crises with Dr. Leana Wen
The tech 6 health systems use to limit disparities in healthcare