Nurse Practitioner, Barb Sutton, and other team members at the White Coats for Black Lives demonstration on June 5th.
Police brutality and violence against people of color across the nation is a public health and societal crisis and Housecall Providers will not be silent. The brutal murder of George Floyd and the events of the past two weeks have been a call to action, one that should not have taken this long.
George Floyd’s death is one in an excruciatingly long list of Black Americans killed by the hands of police. Blacks are killed twice as often as White Americans by the police, and shockingly, this brutality is a leading cause of death for young Black men in many communities around our country.
These statistics, combined with the racial and ethnic health disparities that exist in our communities, paint a deplorable picture of the systemic racism that permeates our society. As health care providers, we must come to terms with, and take action to reconcile the undeniable negative impact of institutional racism on life expectancy and health outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in our country.
Housecall Providers is dedicated to offering equitable access to primary, palliative and hospice care for all homebound adults and those living with serious illness. Two of our core values stand in stark relief at this poignant moment: courage to do the right thing in the face of adversity, and social justice which compels us to make a commitment to advocate for those with less voice, less power and less privilege.
We stand in solidarity with the protestors in our community, our nation and around the world. Words will never be enough. The heartbreaking loss of those lives must serve as a catalyst for true change and action. Housecall Providers will be changing our priorities as we recommit to promoting diversity and inclusion within our organization.
For 25 years, our intent has been to serve all races, cultures and colors. Now, we recognize the need to actively seek partnership with local BIPOC communities to truly engage them and to learn how our care model must shift to better serve them. As health care professionals, we commit to actively educate ourselves so that we can, with confidence, contribute to the reduction of health disparities among our patients of color.
This will not be easy as we have so much to learn. One thing is certain, we cannot do this alone. Our staff is keenly aware of the power of relationship since it is the foundation of our care model. We commit to forging new relationships with the BIPOC communities within our region whose wisdom will be essential to reach our stated goals.
