MLK Day
On Monday, January 18th, 2021, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and honor his legacy.
I’ve been thinking of how healthcare professionals can honor the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. If recent years have taught us anything, it is that medicine has a long way to go in addressing its systemic racism.
A harrowing reminder of the devastating effects of racial discrimination in healthcare was the death of Dr. Susan Moore. Last month, Dr. Moore—a Black physician—recorded a video detailing her experience of medical bias while she was hospitalized with coronavirus. “This is how Black people get killed, when you send them home and they don’t know how to fight for themselves,” she said. Dr. Moore died on December 20th.
At the end of December, I read an open letter by Physician Women SOAR. The letter addressed the statement made on December 24th, 2020 by IU Health CEO Dennis Murphy following Dr. Moore’s death. Physician Women SOAR (Support, Organize, Advocate, Reclaim) is a group dedicated to elevating the voices of marginalized groups. Here is an excerpt from “Equity Is More Than Words: For Dr. Susan Moore, An Open Letter to IU Health CEO Dennis Murphy”:
“...Mr. Murphy’s statement relies on euphemistic language and fails to acknowledge the racism that Dr. Moore called out in her video and that was mentioned by every news outlet reporting her tragic story. The words “race” and “racism” are not mentioned (except to tout Mr. Murphy’s professed dedication to racial justice), and instead are replaced by euphemisms such as patients of color, diversity, inclusion, and treatment bias. In light of this, Mr. Murphy’s pledge to “transform our organization to be more diverse, equitable and anti-discriminatory” rings hollow. Indeed, Mr. Murphy artificially dissects and separates the review of the “technical” and “humanistic” aspects of Dr. Moore’s care. A true equity lens would account for the inseparable nature of these aspects of care, not just in the care of Black patients, but all patients.”
The letter also includes starting points for equity in healthcare at IU Health, points out that all healthcare professionals should take the time to read.