Black History Matters

We cannot change the past. However, history is ever evolving. Our perspective from the present moment, as well as our hopes for the future, determine which details of the past are forgotten or overlooked and which are remembered and rediscovered.

Right now, as we strive to realize a more equitable society, we can perceive the inequities of history with greater clarity. We cannot pursue equity in the present without simultaneously reimagining the past. To achieve diversity now, to achieve inclusivity now, to achieve justice now, we must understand how and why we failed to achieve these critical elements before.

This Black History Month, I hope that those of us who work in the health care industry can recognize the ways in which our organizations and systems failed Black Americans in the past so we can work to correct those mistakes now and enshrine those changes for the future.

There was a time when health care was one of the most segregated sectors of our society. Members of the Black community were refused treatment at all-white hospitals and instead had to settle for care at inferior institutions with far fewer resources. 

When we neglect history, we also tend to forget why our present moment looks the way it does. We must remember why many of our hospitals and medical centers are integrated spaces. It is vital that we understand why it is critical that patients of all races sit together in the waiting room before receiving treatment from the same medical staff. We must commit and recommit to ensuring our doctors and nurses represent different ethnicities and gender identities.

We must constantly reiterate and reinforce the legacy of segregation so we understand why it is so important that our medical centers remain integrated and why we must remain conscious and wary of any lingering disparities that Black communities continue to encounter, particularly when it comes to their health.

As we continue to study and educate ourselves about Black history, I take immense pride in remembering the founding history of Kaiser Permanente. The story of our organization begins in the shipyards of California during World War II. As the workforce swelled to support the war effort, industrialist Henry Kaiser and Dr. Sidney Garfield worked together to offer pre-paid health coverage. This unique structure emphasized maintaining patient health and safety rather than merely treating illness and injury.

In the background of this story, there is a current of prejudice and discrimination. As the workforce swelled by the tens of thousands, there was an influx of Black workers to the shipyards. While many protested their employment, Kaiser insisted that Black workers receive the same rights and health coverage as others. Kaiser Permanente is also one of the first health care providers in the United States to have racially integrated hospitals and a diverse workforce.

Fast forward to today where we stand out from our peers around the country for our commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity as well as our devotion to eradicating health disparities by lifting up underserved communities. The care we provide is driven by the values we have had since our very first days.

We can never simply accept the past at face value. We must analyze and reinterpret history through constant scrutiny and dissection to see what is unseen and uncover what might be hidden.

We cannot hope to achieve equity unless we are willing to recognize historic inequities. The progress we want to make today begins with our willingness to reframe our understanding of the past.