Representation Matters: Accelerating Progress Toward a More Equitable Health Care System

A few months ago, I had the honor of meeting Dr. DeMaurice Moses, who was the first Black physician in Puyallup, Wash., at an event in Tacoma celebrating CommonSpirit Health ’s partnership with the Morehouse School of Medicine through the More in Common Alliance . A pediatrician by training, Dr. Moses retired in 1999 after more than 34 years serving the community. It was incredible to meet a man who had touched so many lives not just with the care he provided but also through his example.?

Sadly, in 2024 - 25 years after Dr. Moses’ retirement - we still have far too few clinicians of color in health care. Recent U.S. Census data indicates just 5.4% of physicians in the U.S. are Black, well below the percentage of Black people in our population.?

Representation matters

Diversity in the clinic space is directly tied to health equity. We know that having a diverse workforce including clinicians of color improves health outcomes. If we are going to provide our communities with the best care possible, it is vital that we do our part to increase the numbers of Black and diverse professionals in our field, from patient care to administration.?

I am a strong proponent of looking at this challenge as an opportunity and finding innovative ways to reshape our workforce to better represent our communities, but I am also realistic enough to know that we must accelerate this work and pursue change with a greater sense of urgency. I’d like to share just a few of the ways we are doing this at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health , and I hope you’ll share your ideas as well.?

• Building a diverse team of clinicians: Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is building a workforce of culturally competent providers who reflect the patients we serve. Our CommonSpirit Health partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine via the More in Common Alliance is creating a robust pipeline to bring Morehouse medical students through rotations at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health hospitals, and we collaborate with local colleges, like Highline College and Olympic College , to recruit RNs from diverse backgrounds.?
• Training diverse leaders: This year, we welcomed our first class of SEED Interns, offering recent graduates from underserved communities an opportunity to forge a career path in healthcare. CommonSpirit’s Administrative Fellowship program and $3M Equity Impact Scholarships are other avenues through which Virginia Mason Franciscan Health empowers diverse future leaders.?

• Mentoring that matters: We are proud to once again co-sponsor the Melanin in Medicine event in partnership with Build to Lead, later this month. Last year we partnered with the Seattle Seahawks to host a ‘Black Mentors in Medicine’ event for Seattle’s WHOLE Mentoring program for Black male students. Our organization also works with Rainier Scholars and the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship program to engage young people in the healthcare field.?

Beyond diversifying our teams through hiring and development, we must do more to advance health equity, improve outcomes and foster a diverse and inclusive community. At Virginia Mason Franciscan Health we are leaning into the power of data to inform our efforts. Hospital operations, quality and community health leaders collaborate on health equity action teams to support data analysis, create data-informed action plans and engage with partners to address inequities. Our teams tie equity into quality and safety goals, such as birth outcomes or readmissions.?

We are also embedding Community Health deeper into our hospital operations, working with Quality Councils, engaging partners in clinical-community linkages to address quality and safety, and bringing in trusted organizations to help shift practices that inhibit quality care for vulnerable communities. Our Community Health teams are working hard to make an impact on social determinants that affect health - from hunger to housing and everything in between. These are all avenues that can make a significant impact on dismantling barriers to health and reducing inequities.?

As we celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth and recognize trailblazers like Dr. Moses, let’s also think about the history we are writing today. How can we go further, faster in our efforts to build diverse healthcare teams??