More than a decade ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set a powerful goal: to achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups. Yet, today, Black Americans still face some of the worst health outcomes in the nation.
If you’re a Black patient or part of another historically underserved group, this isn’t just policy talk — it’s personal. These disparities affect how long we live, how safe childbirth is, and how well our babies thrive. So why do these gaps persist, and what can you do as a patient?
The statistics are troubling:
Black men have the shortest life expectancy in the U.S.
Black women die at the highest rates from pregnancy-related causes.
Black infants die more often than any other racial group.
These aren’t just numbers — they reflect real lives, real families, and real suffering.
One major reason for these health disparities? A health care workforce that doesn’t reflect the diversity of the patients it serves. Although Black Americans make up about 13 percent of the U.S. population, only six percent of physicians are Black.
This lack of representation matters. Patients are more likely to trust, communicate openly with, and receive better outcomes from health care providers who share their racial or cultural background.
Black doctors aren’t just underrepresented — many are actively leaving academic medicine. In a powerful reflection, Uché Blackstock, M.D., founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, described leaving her faculty position at an academic medical center after nearly a decade because of a toxic, discriminatory, and unwelcoming environment.
She’s not alone.
Black faculty often face:
Lack of mentorship and sponsorship
Barriers to promotion and advancement
Expectations to lead diversity efforts without compensation or recognition
Hostile work environments with little institutional support
These challenges drive talented Black doctors away from institutions where they could mentor students, conduct groundbreaking research, and care for Black patients. And when Black doctors leave, patients lose trusted care providers and advocates within the system.
One particularly telling example: A Black medical student once told her professor, four months into the school year, that she was her first and only Black lecturer. That kind of underrepresentation isn’t just discouraging. It sends a powerful, exclusionary message to students and patients alike.
RELATED: Study: Black Patients Live Longer When Connected to Black Doctors
Even the physical environments of medical schools and hospitals can feel alienating. Walls lined with portraits of white male leaders — many of whom rose to prominence during eras of exclusion and racial injustice — reinforce a sense of elitism and marginalization.
Thankfully, some institutions are starting to rethink these spaces. Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, for instance, removed portraits of past department chairs (mostly white men) from its main auditorium to foster a greater sense of belonging.
Still, much more needs to be done.
While these issues are deeply systemic, patients can play a role in pushing for better care:
Ask your provider how they approach cultural competency.
Don’t hesitate to bring a trusted friend or advocate to your appointments.
Use online directories to find Black or minority providers.
Support clinics that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Share your experiences through patient satisfaction surveys.
Report discrimination to the clinic, hospital administration, or state board.
Engage with community organizations working to improve Black health outcomes.
Support legislation that funds equity-based health care initiatives.
Elect officials who advocate for systemic change in health care and education.
Push for increased funding for diversity in medicine and patient-centered care.
The departure of Black doctors from academic medicine isn’t just a workplace issue — it’s a patient care crisis. These physicians could be conducting critical research, treating Black patients with culturally competent care, and inspiring the next generation of diverse health professionals.
Academic medical centers have a responsibility to stop this exodus. They must listen to Black faculty and students, adopt anti-racist practices, and create spaces where all can thrive.
But until that happens, patients have the power — and the right — to demand care that is equitable, respectful, and just.
Health care should help everyone, not just some. Achieving health equity means lifting the voices of those most affected, holding institutions accountable, and ensuring that all patients receive high-quality, culturally sensitive care.
If you’re a patient, know this: your voice matters. And you’re not alone in this fight.
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