Category: Public Health & Policy

Immigrant physicians: Acknowledge our privilege and move to action

Born in the United States of America to Nigerian parents, I was raised in Nigeria and returned to the U.S. after medical school for residency training. I have practiced medicine in Chicago, IL for 25 years, and like many others, have had to deal with m…

3 reasons why doctors don’t unionize

In a market economy, business leaders take every opportunity to shrink the cost line of labor on the balance sheet to boost profits and shareholder/investor value. It’s the metric on which they are evaluated, and left unopposed; they will do it m…

I always hope that a sense of humanity will supersede the status quo

I look out at the world through bright blue eyes. Blonde hair. A skinny but shapely 19-year-old’s body. I know six languages. I am educated. I can prescribe medicine that saves lives. I am in love. I am a person. I look down at the tattoo on my arm. A …

COVID-19 becomes a magnifying glass for health disparities

The daily email update on COVID-19 affecting our hospital system is a glaring reflection of the health disparities amongst those in marginalized groups. The farther south you go, generally in San Diego, the higher the number of socioeconomically disadv…

Health disparities in our patients are evident but difficult to address

I am Jewish, bisexual, and female. Statistically, these three identities put me at risk for experiencing violence in this country. But I am also white, and so I am not afraid. I can go for runs in my neighborhood without fear of being attacked. I can s…

Our public health efforts depend on flexibility and trust

Public health has never been more important. As the coronavirus waxes and wanes, it is crucial that our evolving understanding of COVID-19 translate into our everyday lives. Our collective response to the virus will be much improved with an acknowledgm…

The DNA of the United States of America

Slavery has been part of countless cultures.  Slavery is hideous but was not a founding principle of the United States.  The founding fathers had differing views on slavery.  However, in drafting the Declaration of Independence, the founders planted th…

The role of medical education in perpetuating health care disparities

Black bodies are dying, and medical schools are partially to blame.  Never did I imagine that I would come to the realization that as a medical student; I was being trained and conditioned to identify and treat conditions predominately in white people….

Minorities and medical research: Who is still excluded?

In the United States, there is clear evidence that minority populations continue to be underrepresented in clinical research related to new therapies for common and serious long-term medical conditions such as type 2 diabetes (T2D). This is despite the…

Primary care is dying: Why that should scare every large employer

Primary care is on life support. COVID-19’s toll on American health care extends beyond the hospitals and medical workers besieged by infection. An equally insidious but less-visible crisis is engulfing primary care, the long-neglected foundation of ou…