Social Justice for Those Most Vulnerable

Like most Americans, I have spent the past few weeks searching for the right words. More than searching for words, however, has been my search for a way to act with impact.

Complicating my search has been a flurry of emotions. Frustration, anger, and discomfort mixed with resolve and hopefulness. The current conversation is far-reaching; and I realize I am not an expert on systemic racism and injustice. But I do know that bringing about real change is bigger than each of us. For us to succeed, we all must commit to playing our parts.

Nearly twenty percent of our nation’s gross national product is healthcare expense, making healthcare a critical component of social justice. It remains very unfair that low-income and minority populations in the United States have markedly worse health and longevity than more affluent Americans. Better healthcare in all zip codes is key to achieving social justice and equality.

ChenMed was founded on the premise that we must provide primary care to communities that need it most. Our vision is “To be America’s leading primary care provider, transforming care of the neediest populations.” We have made great strides bringing better health to the neediest among us, but there is much more work to do.

We can work together to transform healthcare for all communities; but first we must accept some uncomfortable realities.

A Systemic Problem

The current conversation about systemic racism is long overdue. Peeling back the layers of tragic, needless deaths both recently and in the past exposes insufficient police force policies, a broken and antiquated criminal justice system, inequalities in educational opportunities; an unspoken privilege that favors some people over others, and elected and appointed government officials who address hatred and bigotry with either the wrong words or no words at all.

America’s healthcare system is part of the problem, even as it holds the potential to be a part of the solution. In the richest nation the world has known, we have a sad dichotomy. We claim to have the world’s best healthcare system; and if you have a complex disease and money, the care, expertise, and technology that can be brought to bear to save your life is remarkable.

Yet we spend twice as much (or more) for healthcare than any other country, and we lag virtually all industrialized nations in most population health metrics, including life expectancy. In our largest cities, those living in poor (predominantly minority) neighborhoods have life expectancies between nine and 25 years less than those living in more affluent (primarily white) neighborhoods. In short, the United States can deliver world-class healthcare, but only if you can afford it.

Healthcare in these poorer neighborhoods is, in many ways, set up to fail. These communities have fewer doctors per capita, and there are well-studied differences in the treatment of minorities when they do receive care. There are far more exposures to environmental factors such as pollutants. Far worse social circumstances and educational support. Less disposable income to enable healthy living choices. And, yes, far more police violence. Every one of these facts is an injustice that leads to a very predictable outcome.

ChenMed’s Unwavering Commitment to Neighborhoods in Need

Allow me to be vulnerable for a moment. My family’s deep belief in Christ brings purpose and focus to our lives and business. We believe that everyone is a beautiful creation of God, and that belief spawned the creation of ChenMed. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, kindness and dignity, regardless of where they live, the color of their skin, the language they speak, the God they worship (or don’t), the nature of their sexual orientation, their political beliefs, the social disadvantages they face, or anything else.

Our resolute faith impacts how and where our medical practices operate as we pursue our vision to transform healthcare for the neediest populations.  While many businesses look for the affluent neighborhoods, when ChenMed evaluates a new city we ask where the minority populations live, where the incomes are lower, and where there aren’t as many doctors per person. Why? Because not only do these underserved areas need us, the communities deserve the same concierge care that is available to Americans with greater financial means.

Delivering on this vision means building a doctor’s office that is very unique. One that, since 1992, sees a small panel of patients and tasks the physician with the fulfilling purpose of being totally accountable for helping patients achieve better health. Simply writing a prescription, billing them, and sending them on their way is not the ChenMed way.

We provide patients with a sense of community. We offer services that help reduce barriers to healthy living, from transportation assistance to onsite medications to helping with social services. We even help our patients find toilet paper during the pandemic. The results have been dramatic in city after city where thousands join us and health improves.

Expanding Our Commitment – and Action

Setting up our clinics in neighborhoods that have been ravaged by the long arc of systemic racism means we have been in the middle of both peaceful, hopeful protests and the rioting and looting stemming from a tiny group of people. We have kept every location possible open for business during this time, just as we do when hurricanes and other natural disasters impact our communities. Our staff, who have been heroes throughout the COVID-19 crisis, never hesitate to be there to serve their communities.

Our commitment to underserved communities has never been stronger. With a compound annual growth rate of 30 percent in our existing cities, this year we are expanding reach in ten states while moving into five new markets. We are building even more new care centers in neighborhoods all too familiar with inequities and a frequent lack of being treated with dignity.

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that we are not doing enough. The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare many racial inequities that have long been ignored. Seeing horrific images of wrongful deaths only adds insult to injury; and has given us resolve to make lasting changes in the conditions that have contributed to lifetimes of oppression and strife in communities of color.

While ChenMed’s primary sphere of influence is in driving good health through exquisite prevention, wellness, and medical care, that alone is not enough. We know that health is the result of many inputs beyond clinical medicine, so last year, long before the current tensions arose, we began putting the pieces in place to tangibly reach out to the communities we serve. We wanted to create a meaningful community give-back program. Recent events have motivated us to accelerate the launch of this initiative. The program will enable qualified local leaders to direct a share of earnings into charitable causes for their local communities, at a level five to ten times greater than typical corporate contributions. Our ultimate goal is to provide leverage that enables deeper community transformation.

There are scores of biblical references to helping others and giving back. Whether you believe giving part of your income is a command or, as 2 Corinthians 9:7, says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver,” the fact is that giving back fits in with nearly every Judeo-Christian faith. And, if you don’t ascribe to religious beliefs, psychology research is full of evidence that giving is good for the soul.

This special give-back program should further empower every ChenMed medical clinic, hundreds of them in due time, to contribute towards social justice. The combination of our proven clinical care approach for the neediest populations in city after city and the financial support that we will be able to direct to local causes will be a spark for profound impact.  I know our employees across the 20 cities we serve currently are excited about the opportunity to give back to their communities.

My family was fortunate to spend time recently with the family of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King.  We were inspired by the significant changes their work has brought about in Atlanta’s neighborhoods. I left inspired to do more and do it faster. But fixing this big, systemic challenge won’t be done through one group, one initiative, one election, one policy, reform of one sector of the government or economy. It will require all of us to play a part and to remain persistent and determined. Imagine the chain reaction if we not only commit with words, but all set forth tangible action plans in the niche of the world we can impact.