Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Harmful Lessons On Racism Rooted In Medical Systems, Among Personnel; Doctors Say Police Brutality Is Their Lane, Too
Stat: Racism: The Contagion In Health Care We Need To Eradicate
The virus persists in the bloodstream for years, often spanning generations. The warning signs aren’t always obvious and don’t follow the traditional path for how an infection progresses in humans. Even so, it exerts its sinister effects on the individuals infected and everyone around them. Some with the community-acquired form of this illness demonstrate moderate to severe symptoms: A profound sense of entitlement. Panicked calls to 911 using histrionic language. Irrational acting out and murderous rage. Hunting down and executing joggers. Breaking, entering, and murdering without identifying yourself. Applying pressure with a knee on the neck to the point of asphyxiation, disguised as “protect and serve.” (David Malebranche, 6/4)
The Washington Post: Racism Is Killing Black People. It’s Sickening Them, Too.
That was the one of the final pleas uttered by George Floyd last week before he was killed by police officers kneeling on his neck and back — the same plea cried out by Eric Garner before he died six years ago in a police chokehold. These words have become a rallying cry for protests across the nation. To those of us in the public health community, they are also a visceral reminder of a reality we have come to know all too well: Racism is a public health crisis. (Michelle A. Williams and Jeffrey Sanchez, 6/4)
Stat: Physician Advocacy Against Police Brutality: #ThisIsOurLaneToo
Last week we found ourselves sharing yet again — first with anger, then with despair — the story and horrific images of another black life being stolen by police brutality. We tried to focus on our routine activities, like preparing coffee to help us get through another day in the hospital. Our hearts were heavy, our minds racing. We joined the medical profession to help preserve life, to give families more time with their loved ones, and to hold the hands of the hurting. But in those moments, we were the ones hurting. Yet as we walked through the wards, we felt the weight of a suffocating silence. (Chijioke Nze, Elorm F. Avakame, Olusola J. Ayankola and Jamaji C. Nwanaji-Enwerem, 6/5)
Boston Globe: Boston Needs To Adopt A Planning Equity Standard
The city of Boston faces unprecedented challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. The communities hit hardest by COVID-19 now face economic fallout that will exacerbate existing poverty, unemployment, and housing insecurity. The pandemic has forced us to sit down and contemplate how we move forward as one community. Yet the real consideration is how we will choose to stand up. As the tidal wave of anguish, pain, fear, depression, and rage at the horrific killing of George Floyd crashes in our beloved city of Boston, we must ask: How do we move forward without reflecting on our own policies? (Members of the Boston City Council, 6/4)
