2020 Articles

The Part of the Primary Care Provider in our National Awakening to Systemic Racism

Chaucer, Katie; DeTurk, Monika

Racism makes people sick. As the United States navigates a social awakening, primary care providers (PCPs) need to join the movement by addressing the impact of racism on our society. As community leaders, all PCPs, including medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy, physician assistants, and advanced practice nurses, are morally called to combat systemic racism. PCPs need to consider how traditional treatment modalities, such as drug prescription and lifestyle modifications, may perpetuate systemic racism and inflict further injustice upon the health of Black Americans. Furthermore, as physical healers, PCPs are professionally bound to address systemic racism as its detrimental physical effects ravage those marginalized by our racialized society.