Vaccinating vulnerable populations and the myth of widespread hesitancy
How often have you heard that our most vulnerable populations are desperately seeking access to the COVID vaccine? Almost never? More
Researchers speak out on racism and medical publishing
After an editor at a major medical journal dismissed the idea of structural racism, researchers say his views are symptomatic of larger problems in health research. More
The CDC Says Racism Is A Public Health Threat. Here’s What It Means
The CDC has declared racism a "serious threat" to public health. NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones, who worked for the CDC and now studies race and health at Emory University. More
Black women 3 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than White men
New medical findings challenge conventional wisdom that biological differences between the sexes drive death rates. More
Imagine if Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium helped solve Philly’s other major health crises | Opinion
The city has learned the importance of trusting and partnering with Black and brown medical pros. More
‘Who is going to protect me?’: Ratings app aims to remove bias from the birthing experiences of Black and brown mothers
Black and brown patients can write reviews and rate the care provided by their OB-GYNs, pediatricians, and hospitals. More
Excited delirium: valid clinical diagnosis or medicalized racism? Organized medicine needs to take a stand
Medical organizations need to formally denounce the diagnostic validity and use of excited delirium to justify excessive police force. More
Perceptions of Discrimination and Unfair Judgment While Seeking Health Care
Research shows that people are often discriminated against or treated unfairly in health care settings because of disabilities, gender identity or sexual orientation, and race or ethnicity. More
Racism in the USA: ensuring Asian American health equity
Racist anti-Asian incidents and rhetoric in the USA have been on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic, by some accounts increasing as much as 150%. More
Getting Vaccinated While Black
Obtaining a COVID shot, like so many other aspects of American life, has emerged as a racial-justice issue—and a matter of life and death. More
‘Outrageous’: 46 Million Americans Say They Would Not Be Able to Afford Healthcare If They Needed It
Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute think tank, told The Guardian on Wednesday that "unfortunately, it's not surprising that millions of Americans can't afford healthcare." "It is, however, shocking and kind of outrageous," Saini added. "Our system has been structured for many years on the basis of private health plans and very deep dysfunction politically and within the medical industry. Americans have been facing this mammoth problem. It was there during, and looks like it's going to be after, the pandemic... Americans want, and need I'd say, a radically better healthcare system." More
In light of anti-Asian attacks, medicine needs to listen to Asian American trainees
As medical institutions grapple with racism, Asian American and Pacific Islander trainees should be included in reform efforts. More
Estimation and Comparison of Current and Future Racial/Ethnic Representation in the US Health Care Workforce
In this cross-sectional study of 2019 data from the American Community Survey and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Black, Hispanic, and Native American people were underrepresented in the 10 health care professions analyzed. Although the educational pipeline shows some limited improvement, underrepresentation of these groups persists. More
Data disaggregation shows startling health disparities among Asian Americans
The lack of knowledge around Asian American health has serious public health implications. More
Nearly 46m Americans would be unable to afford quality healthcare in an emergency
“Unfortunately, it’s not surprising that millions of Americans can’t afford healthcare,” said Dr Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, a think tank whose advocacy work has examined how high prices on insulin have led to rationing and even death among diabetics. “It is, however, shocking and kind of outrageous, but not surprising.” “Our system has been structured for many years on the basis of private health plans and very deep dysfunction politically and within the medical industry,” said Saini.
To Achieve Mental Health Equity, Dismantle Social Injustice
Substance use disorders and other problems cannot be addressed from a position of willful ignorance about our society’s inequalities More
Black Patients are More Likely Than White Patients to be in Hospitals with Worse Patient Safety Conditions
An Urban Institute brief shows Black patients experienced significantly worse quality of care relative to White patients in 2017 across the 26 states in this analysis. More
Value-based care has an equity problem
Two recent studies in JAMA find that hospitals and clinicians caring for high proportions of people of color get punished in our current value-based payment programs. More
Addressing Workforce Diversity — A Quality-Improvement Framework
Perspective from The New England Journal of Medicine — Addressing Workforce Diversity — A Quality-Improvement Framework More
Addressing Workforce Diversity — A Quality-Improvement Framework
The Lown Institute’s recent national ranking of hospitals based on civic leadership, value of care, and patient outcomes stirred discussion because of its emphasis on care for the community and its stark contrast with the U.S. News and World Report rankings. No such ranking system exists for issues related to workforce diversity, although there are opportunities to establish stand-alone listings or to integrate this dimension into current ranking methods. Although legal obstacles around reporting of workforce diversity data are unclear — particularly if this reporting attracts attention to institutions with low diversity — similar, if not more detailed, information is already openly available for many public hospital systems whose state laws mandate reporting of all state employee salaries. More