Racism in Healthcare

In the bustling corridors of American hospitals and clinics, behind the sterile sheets and pulsing machines, two narratives unfold. Each tells a vastly different tale.

There are those privileged enough to be represented in medicine, studies catered towards

them, medical professionals comfortable and willing to help with a compassion unfelt by anyone else. They come to the hospital willingly, confident that the doctors will truly try their best. Then there are those—African Americans—who die at a rate 24 percent higher. With a chronic distrust of the system, they view professionals as negligent and rough. Racial abuse seems to follow them wherever they go—even in seemingly safe places like a hospital. It is within this group of people that mindless ignoring becomes fatal.

Kira Johnson. Dr. Susan Moore. The beloved Prince Nelson. The list goes on.

All of these people died from careless malpractice and negligence, yet none have received

Justice. Why is it that medical professionals can get away with what should be labeled as

Murder?

This is not a recent issue; it has been a thing since the beginning of slavery. It all began in "the name of medicine". That was the legacy created since the founding fathers’ medical

experimentation on slaves to the state-approved malpractices that followed, such as the

Tuskegee syphilis study or mass sterilization of African Americans.

Now, that legacy is built into the healthcare system. A study conducted by Proceedings of the National Academies of Science revealed half of medical students fall victim to misconceptions concerning black people, such as their skin being thicker or having fewer nerve endings than white people.

Despite this, the nurses and doctors are not entirely to blame. It is the system. Healthcare

professionals are globally uneducated when it comes to patients of color. Evidence shows

educators are even penalized for teaching about racial disparities in medicine. Diversity in the healthcare workforce remains insufficient, fostering a lack of cultural competence. These

barriers lead to a lack of trust and understanding between professionals and their patients. With distrust in the medical system, people of color are less likely to reach out for help until it’s too late. When it comes to receiving adequate help, it seems to be a lose-lose situation.

The misconceptions surrounding black people created a gap in healthcare, claiming more and more lives as it grew. Simple miseducation becomes a staple in healthcare professionals'

practice after medical school.

Evidence shows minorities are less likely to be believed when complaining of pain, leading to less adequate pain treatment and sometimes none at all.

Black patients with chest pain are less likely to be referred for cardiac treatment. Additionally, they are more likely to be misdiagnosed with psychiatric conditions.

Implicit bias within healthcare professionals, often unconscious but deeply ingrained, affects

diagnosis and treatment. This, along with the systemic perpetuation of unequal distribution of resources and healthcare quality, leaves people of color too often helpless.

Many report trying to advocate for themselves and their symptoms but being continuously

dismissed. In turn, people of color are burdened with a surplus of misdiagnoses and delayed

treatment. When it comes to lives, time is of the essence, and usually, intervention comes much too late. If it comes at all.

The glaring mortality disparities being faced by black people highlight the urgency of combating racism in healthcare. By acknowledging historical injustices, learning their root causes, and pursuing effective solutions such as the proper education of medical students, we can build a healthcare system that saves lives regardless of race or ethnicity. Only through an unwavering commitment to change can we achieve the "liberty and Justice for all" that the American dream promises.

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Author Arisa Thomas is a sixteen year old journalist and aspiring nurse from California. She especially loves doing makeup, trying new things, and being with animals, and spending time with friends. Her free time is usually spent riding horses, playing soccer, being creative with makeup, and of course, writing.