( CNN ) -- Growing up in the Jim Crow-era South , we saw firsthand the great disparities in health care suffered by African-Americans . The lack of access to basic services , the dearth of black physicians and the often overtly racist attitudes of white health care providers contributed to higher rates of infant mortality , chronic illnesses and shorter life expectancy . The Rev . Martin Luther King , Jr. , said that `` of all forms of inequality , injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane . '' But has n't the prejudice that prevailed in those far off times been eliminated in today 's more equitable society ? Or do health disparities persist in less obvious but no less worrying ways -- and not just for African-Americans ? Studies emphatically conclude that such disparities do persist . U.S. News and World Report released its latest issue announcing the best hospitals in the nation on Tuesday . People put a lot of stock in these rankings , and equality of treatment should be considered as a factor in what makes a hospital excellent . `` Unequal Treatment , '' published by the Institute of Medicine in 2002 , spelled out exactly how Latinos , African-Americans , Native-Americans , Asian-Americans , and Pacific Islanders receive care that 's inferior to that enjoyed by mainstream Americans . The IOM report triggered other studies that demonstrated the ( often unconscious ) prejudice that prevails in treating women , the elderly , the LGBT community , the obese -- 13 groups in all -- a large percentage of the health care consuming public . Here are a few shocking examples : Women with symptoms of heart disease often are not transported by emergency medical services to health facilities as rapidly as men . Women and blacks with heart attack symptoms are not given cardiac catheterizations and other appropriate clinical tests at the same rate as white men . Latinos and African-Americans do not receive the same pain medication for long bone fractures as do their fellow citizens . Attacking health disparities head-on can make a big difference . A program in Alaska designed to train dental health care therapists -- the rough equivalent of physician 's assistants -- celebrated its 10th anniversary this month . The Native Tribal Council initiated the program , Dentex , because the state had few dentists and most would n't accept Medicaid . Many native children lost all of their teeth by age 18 , affecting their health , social lives , school attendance , and employment possibilities . The dental health aide therapists have improved oral health in Alaska dramatically . Now , despite the fierce opposition of the American Dental Association , Maine and Minnesota have approved the training and deployment of similar mid-level dental providers , and other states are considering it . It is widely accepted that African-Americans and Hispanics are underserved . Shortening the waiting times at Grady Hospital in Atlanta , Georgia -- which primarily serves African-American , Hispanic and other minority populations -- allowed greater access to mental health services because the population is admitted more quickly and provided with care . Hospitals would be encouraged to join the fight if equality were included as a metric in the U.S. News and World Report rankings . These rankings are popular and closely watched . They bestow bragging rights on hospitals , but most important , provide guidance for people deeply interested in where they might go to receive the best care in the specialties that concern them most . U.S. News and World Report has a tremendous opportunity to facilitate significant changes in health care delivery by rating hospitals for their care of the underserved . Its annual hospital rankings tell consumers nothing on this vital subject . Where do hospitals rank in their understanding of the problem of unequal care ? What measures do they take to counteract the effects of prejudice in the treatment they provide ? We encourage the publication to maximize this opportunity before next year 's `` Best Hospitals '' issue . That would enable women and minorities to advocate for health care equality more successfully . It would help U.S. health professionals understand health disparities and more effectively treat underserved and minority populations . Most important , it would help all patients and their families , not just those who need not worry about disparities in care , to know better where to go for the care they need .
U.S. News and World Report releases respected list of best hospitals in the U.S. Louis Sullivan , Augustus White grew up when minority health care was shameful . They say problems persist in unequal access , quality of care for minorities , women . Authors : `` Best Hospital '' rankings must include metric of equal treatment .