Why racism is a health care issue

After the tragic death of George Floyd, frustration about inequality and injustice is boiling over in communities across the country. The heat-of-the moment concern about police violence has sparked a needed conversation about racial injustice. On this episode of Radio Advisory, Rae sits down with inclusion leader and head of workforce research Micha’le Simmons and health equity researcher Darby Sullivan. Together, they discuss the impact that racism and police violence has on health equity—and the vital role that health care leaders play in combating structural racism.

More resources:

For the organizational leadership:

• Addressing racism: Resources for health care leaders | Advisory Board
• U.S. businesses must take meaningful action against racism | Harvard Business Review
• 3 steps hospital leaders can take to mitigate the racial impact of Covid-19 | Advisory Board
• Police brutality must stop | American Medical Association

Education about institutional/structural racism:

• 1619 | The New York Times
• A people’s history of the United States | Howard Zinn (book)

The criminal justice system:

• Police: sixth-leading cause of death for young black men | University of Michigan
• The New Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness | Michelle Alexander
• 13th | Ava DuVernay (documentary)

Health care and medical racism:

• How we fail black patients in pain | AAMC
• Black mothers keep dying after giving Birth. Shalon Irving's story explains why | NPR