Where We Stand
Section: Public Health
Policy: Equity Task Force Recommendations: Systemic Racism

Equity Task Force Recommendations: Systemic Racism

The Equity Task Force recommends:

1. That the OMA recognizes racism, in its systemic, cultural, interpersonal, and other forms, as a serious threat to public health, to the advancement of health equity, and as a barrier to appropriate medical care. Racism is part of American society and therefore part of American health care. Health care professionals have the ability and obligation to recognize and untangle the influence of racism and discrimination in medicine. 
2. That the OMA transform the Equity Task Force into a standing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee to address justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our practice, institutions, and industry. OMA will ensure that the committee has a diverse membership and is of sufficient size to perform the anticipated functions. The committee will immediately develop a charter covering membership, function, and scope (which is to extend beyond issues of race, to include, but not limited to, those involving gender, sexual identity, ethnicity, religion, immigrant status and experience, language, disability, old age, poverty, and rural location). The committee will address tasks in these areas which they deem appropriate, but including: 
   • Educating OMA members on the influence of institutional and individual racism and other inequities on the practice of medicine.
   • Advocating for policy changes that improve equity in the health care professions and practice of medicine in Oregon. This includes recruitment and retention of future physicians, physician assistants (PAs), and other healthcare workers from racially diverse communities and other underrepresented identities.
   • Recommending methods to reduce the impact of racism on public health and health outcomes. This includes recognizing, addressing, and reversing racially differentiated health outcomes for our patients.
   • Recognizing and addressing the major public health issue of violence against individuals because of personal characteristics. This includes identifying and supporting policies that reduce violent injuries and death among Black Americans and other people of color. In addition, especially during mental health crises, OMA will identify and support policies that improve police interactions with the community.
   • Promoting recognition of the inequalities in upstream social determinants (e.g., family wealth, housing stability, food security, employment, education) and their influence on the health and outcomes of our patients, in order to begin addressing these as public health issues.
   • Expanding advocacy to support policies that address these upstream social determinants.
3. That the OMA collaborate with other organizations to promote health equity, inclusion, and diversity. Examples of possible collaborations could include supporting the formation of an Oregon chapter of the National Medical Association (NMA), work on equity policies and solutions with other physician and PA organizations, and continuation of OMA engagement with the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Health Leadership Council, and other organizations in efforts to promote medical outcomes and improve social determinants of health.