Dr. Joseph Sakran (MSIH Class of 2005 Alumnus), along with two colleagues, recently published an opinion piece in Scientific American titled, “Racism in Health Care Isn’t Always Obvious.”

The article implores healthcare practitioners to acknowledge and denounce their own implicit racial biases, which may affect patient diagnosis and treatment. The piece addresses healthcare disparities in the US, including the reality that Black people have higher death rates for eight of the 13 leading causes of death, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately taken the lives of more Black and Hispanic people than those of other races.

Dr. Sakran calls on medical institutions and associations to require implicit bias training for all healthcare workers as part of initial, and ongoing, medical certification.

Dr. Sakran is a trauma surgeon, coalition builder, policy advisor, public health practitioner, and nationally recognized advocate for gun violence prevention.

He is currently Director of Emergency General Surgery, Assistant Professor of Surgery, and Associate Chief of the Division of Acute Care Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

A survivor of gun violence himself, Dr. Sakran’s interest in medicine and trauma surgery began after a stray bullet nearly killed him during his senior year of high school. He has subsequently dedicated his life to treating the most vulnerable, reducing health disparities among marginalized populations, and advancing public policy that alleviates structural violence in low-income communities.

Read the full article on Scientific American >>
Racism in Health Care Isn’t Always Obvious.