- groovemds
Wounds of a Woman Healer
Are we ready to talk about our Biases? In researching for my book entitled Wounds of a Woman Healer, I'm learning about all these amazing trailblazers who have been fighting for our rights for along time. I thank Pringl Miller, MD, FACS Miller MD for her efforts today at @ Physician Just Equity for standing for something so much bigger than all of us. We at GrooveMD are inspired and aim to help raise awareness.
Did you Know?
Fact: 2% of US medical faculty are Black Women
Mary Eliza Mahoney (1845-1926) was the very first Black professional licensed nurse in the USA. She did a lot of cooking and cleaning to support herself through a 16 month nursing school. We all can thank her, as she spent most of her life fighting for the rights of Black nurses- no easy endeavor in her day, which through her efforts continues until today. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00302-0
Yet despite every fight, each advancement , offered protection and law change, racism in medicine stomps on. That causes burnout, depression, suffering and needless pain and we at GrooveMD are out to alleviate that. Lets all amplify the message that there is a rightful place for every person to serve at the table of medicine.
What to do? Stop looking the other way when you are in position to make a difference. No one else is coming to fix this, and you can make the difference. Provide mentorship, sponsorship, gratitude and support. Own your racism, know your prejudices and get curious about them. We are all human. Get clear so you can deliver unbiased care. Remember blind spots affect all of us . I've found the access to my own transformation is in admitting the truth to myself. Try it. We have the power to change the conversation.
Just think about the costs. . .
Health Inequities for People of Color include:
Lower Life Expectancy
Higher Blood Pressure
Higher rates of Diabetes
Lower rates of Vaccination
Less likely to get emergency care or admission to the hospital
Less likely to receive diagnostic tests
Black Infant mortality twice as high as Whites
. . .
2021- Not OK