Our country is facing a public health crisis. If you are Black, access to high-quality healthcare and your health outcomes are worse than if you are white. Full stop. Decades of research provides ample evidence of this worsening problem. Unfortunately, it’s taken a global pandemic with a disproportionate impact on communities of color and many high profile and tragic incidents of racial injustice to heighten general public awareness. Healthcare leaders, particularly Black leaders, are uniquely positioned to address this crisis. A diverse leadership team and workforce are critical for healthcare organizations to be successful in promoting social justice and reducing healthcare disparities.
What will it take for healthcare organizations to promote social justice and reduce healthcare disparities in the communities they serve? What can we all do together to reduce healthcare disparities in our communities? The purpose of this report is to shed light on the answers to these questions by integrating the perspectives of 11 Black healthcare leaders with the findings from published reports and our original research. This report is the product of a joint initiative sponsored by the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE), a non-profit association of Black healthcare executives founded to promote the advancement and development of Black healthcare leaders, and The Chartis Group, a national healthcare consulting firm committed to ensuring that antiracism beliefs and commitments are embedded in the firm’s fabric, culture, and work with our clients.
If you are Black, your access to high-quality healthcare and your health outcomes are worse than if you are white. Full stop.
