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Structural racism, health disparities, and opportunities for PA practice
Shani Fleming1, Bettie Coplan, Deanna Bridge Najera
1Shani Fleming is an associate professor in the Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy at the University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School in Baltimore, Md. Bettie Coplan is an associate professor in the PA program at Northern Arizona University in Phoenix, Ariz. Deanna Bridge Najera works at the Carroll County Health Department in Westminster, Md., and practices in the ED at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney, Md. Delilah Dominguez practices at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Conn. Patricia J. Devine is director of community outreach and the HEALWA program at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. The views expressed in this article are the authors' own and do not reflect those of their employers.
Abstract:
Social determinants of health are rooted in structural racism. The healthcare community has long recognized the existence of significant race- and ethnicity-related health disparities. Yet pervasive disparities persist despite ongoing calls for institutions and healthcare professionals to promote health equity by addressing bias, discrimination, and social determinants of health. All PAs must take responsibility for the various ways in which we may unwittingly reinforce racism in our profession, and must shift our focus from treating the effects of racism to preventing them.
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