Enough

As a health system, our mission is to improve health, inspire hope and save lives. Racism and social injustices have a direct impact on people’s health and wellbeing and are unacceptable. We all must all work to take steps toward healing. I wanted to share a message I sent to my team earlier this week that expresses my perspective as well as input from some of our physicians at Spectrum Health.

This year has been one that many would prefer to soon forget. A disease we didn’t know existed six months ago has killed so many and shut down the world. Since February, we have been witness to the deaths of Ahmaud Aubrey, Breonna Taylor and now George Floyd. The pain we all feel is intense and heartbreaking. While COVID-19 is an illness caused by a novel virus, racism is a societal disease that has been with us for centuries. In time, a vaccine or new treatment will most likely eliminate or weaken the hold COVID-19 has on us. Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for the evil that prejudice has wrought on our society.

I grew up in Los Angeles and vividly remember the horrific beating of Rodney King and the violence that erupted when the police officers involved were acquitted. It has been more than 29 years since that fateful day Mr. King was pulled over by the police. Yet, here we are watching another tragic story. I don’t want my kids to grow up in a world where these things happen. The Civil Rights Act was passed into law in 1964. In the ensuing 56 years, there has been much progress, but clearly nowhere near enough. I know that police officers and others in law enforcement are good people who put their lives on the line daily for all of us. Much like we should not stereotype people for the color of their skin, we should not do so for those in law enforcement. However, it’s a critical time for all of us throughout our country and communities to address racism and the personal impact it has on our families, neighbors and co-workers.

Recently I received an incredibly raw and touching letter from over a dozen highly respected physicians and APPs who work at Spectrum Health. They are all African American and in their note they described the pain, anger and fear felt by so many of our friends and neighbors of color. I was so moved by their words, that I’ve included a portion of the email here (I have edited to remove specific names):

“This week has been one of those weeks for black America, where the racism that this country tries so hard to hide, is thrown right in our faces. This is what happens. A black man or woman is treated inappropriately by a law enforcement figure resulting in shock, awe and sympathy. The media sensationalizes it the first week, especially if there is a riot. The second week, the media and police analyze what happened to justify the actions of law enforcement typically by finding old footage and past issues that the victim was involved in. The third week, the media moves on to other topics. The fourth week, it happens again. This is trauma.

On May 25, 2020, a white woman in Central Park, New York, called 9-1-1 and stated that she was being attacked by a black man in a park when she wasn’t being attacked at all. Black men are always on edge when there are interactions with the police. Every black boy around the age of 12 or 13 is given “the talk.” This talk is a step-by-step explanation of what to do when you are stopped by the police. The Central Park incident also reminds me of the time one of our very own physicians had a patient removed from his schedule once the patient arrived at the practice and saw the provider card. The patient was able to move his appointment to a different provider schedule because he didn’t want to be taken care of by a black physician.* Or what about the blatant experience that another one of our physicians had in July of 2019, when her patient looked in her eyes and told her he didn’t want to be at Spectrum Health because they have black doctors. Or what about the monthly experience of being asked “when will the doctor will be in” after you have examined and cared for a patient at Spectrum Health. This is trauma. 

On May 26, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by the police while they restrained him with a knee in his neck for nine minutes while he told them he couldn’t breathe. Set your timer for nine minutes and let someone tell you they can’t breathe over and over again. Tell me what that does to your soul. What type of person do you have to be to allow that to happen? What does that say about the people you feel comfortable doing that to? I am crying as I write these words because that could have been my husband…the black man who wants to be respected when he comes into contact with people. The black man who has worked since the age of 13 to provide for his family, especially his mother and four younger siblings. The black man who has been pulled over time and time again for driving a black Tahoe with a personalized license plate and every time he is pulled over, he is asked if this is his truck. The black man who was accused of dealing drugs because he had three bowling balls in his trunk. I could keep going, but I don’t feel like I need to or should have to. I am hoping that you understand what these types of incidents are doing to black people. This is trauma.

We are tired. We are so tired. We are depleted. We are empty. In the words of Dr. XX, “To be black and breathing in America is to be viewed as a threat first and a person second.” We need employers and people with influence to step up and step out of the shell of comfort. We need Spectrum Health to acknowledge the pain that its community is feeling. The silence is deafening, We need you to take action. We need to come to work and not feel like we have to brush off our pain because NO ONE AT WORK GETS IT. It’s crazy to walk through these halls and see people who are acting like everything is okay, because everything is not okay. Your black employees, from environmental services all the way up to your executive leadership and physicians, are not okay. We are hurting. This is trauma.”

I cried as I read this email. I cried when I watched peaceful protests and violent riots over the weekend. We must acknowledge the pain and suffering our co-workers and friends feel for no other reason than their skin is a different color. As a health system, we have seen disparities in the health of our communities for too long. COVID-19 has acutely shined a light on these sad truths. While we alone cannot fix the ills that have plagued our society for countless generations, we have an obligation to be part of the solution. We can do our part by making it emphatically clear that Black Lives Matter. My heart goes out to my friends and colleagues who have to have “the talk” with their sons. I am with you. We are with you.

*Spectrum Health has a caregiver preference policy that does not routinely allow patients to request a different provider because of personal characteristics such as race or religion.