Title: How Systemic Racism Contributes to Disparities in Health
Headings: How Systemic Racism Contributes to Disparities in Health
How Systemic Racism Contributes to Disparities in Health
Section 1: The Problem — How Systemic Racism is Connected to Disparities in Healthcare
Health Outcome Disparities
Wealth Gap
Lack of Paid Sick Time
Insurance Disparities
Disparities in Access to Healthy Food
Environmental Hazards
Underfunded Hospitals
Disparities in Access to Care
Racial Disparities in Maternal Care and Outcomes
Racial Disparities in Mental Health Care
Section 2: Causes and Factors — What Contributes to Racial Disparities in Health Outcomes?
Implicit Bias in Healthcare
The Racist History of America’s Healthcare Systems
Fear and Distrust of the Health Care System
Lacking Diversity in Healthcare Professionals
Section 3: Solutions — Ideas for Moving Forward to Address Racial Health Inequity
Diverse Staffing
Creating Education Pathways for BIPOC Doctors
Implicit Bias and Diversity Training for Doctors
Improving Access to Higher Quality Care
Addressing Systemic Social Determinants of Health
Community Education Programs
Collecting Race Data
Empowering Black Patients
Conclusion
About the Author
Ted Chan, MBA
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Content: Unhealthy diets put people at higher risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases that disproportionately affect BIPOC. Environmental Hazards
Socioeconomic and racial segregation of communities of Black and Hispanic/Latino residents leads to disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards, such as pollution and toxic waste. according to an analysis by the University of California, Berkeley, and the California Environmental Protection Agency. These environmental hazards increase risk for certain health conditions and lead to worse outcomes for certain conditions. BIPOC populations are more likely to be exposed to environmental hazards in their neighborhoods or on the job. Underfunded Hospitals
Hospitals in geographic areas where the population is predominantly Black and Brown tend to be underfunded. Hospitals that lack resources tend to have worse health outcomes, which in turn, disproportionately affects the health of BIPOC. Many people in minority communities don’t realize they may have access to healthcare outside of their local options, where underfunded hospitals often can’t offer them the most options or highest level of care that’s available elsewhere, according to Dr. Kameelah Phillips, an OB/GYN based in New York, and founder of Calla Women's Health. "Access to clinics, access to hospitals, access to doctors, and technology is often distributed by political influence and economic influence by zipcode,” said Dr. Phillips. “ Our system is set up in a way where the people who have the most money have the most influence and have the most power.