A White doctor is suing an online Black physician directory – so much for “Do No Harm”

By Valencia P. Walker

Colorado physician Dr. Travis Morrell is suing the “Find A Black Doctor” online directory and alleging he was not added solely because of his “white racial identity.” The federal lawsuit claims his exclusion violates the Civil Rights Act of 1866 because the directory’s racial criteria is a form of contractual racial discrimination. It further contends that non-Black physicians, like Dr. Morrell, face illegal barriers to practicing medicine because they are excluded from participating in this online directory.

Well, who are we supposed to “Do No Harm” to in medicine? 

Because why does the directory exist? According to its founder, Dr. Dina D. Strachan (a Black woman physician also named in the lawsuit), it was launched in direct response to the never ending flood of requests from Black patients who wanted (and needed) to find doctors – specifically Black doctors – who might better relate to their lived experiences. 

As a board-certified neonatologist and as a Black woman, the impact of these requests resonates on a professional and personal level. I vividly recall a Black mother I advocated for daily as I took care of her critically ill baby. When I started my series of shifts in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the team only used words like “angry” and “threatening” to describe their interactions with her. We had daily, and often multiple, conversations to shift the team from demanding a behavior contract and making frequent calls to security about this mother to understanding what scared and upset her when she sat at her baby’s bedside. During my last shift, she fought back tears as she quietly thanked me for helping her recognize that her anger was a symptom of the untreated PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) she had developed from having a seriously ill newborn in the ICU for months.  

Likewise, I have also been the Black woman not listened to in the emergency room when I tried to explain that something was really wrong with me. I was discharged without recognizing I had a potentially life-threatening illness. When I later met with a Black woman physician, she affirmed my symptoms were both real and matched with the textbook definition of my diagnosis. That gave me a path forward to recovery and a sense of relief I still cannot find words to describe. 

But, it’s not just about missing a life-threatening diagnosis. Dr. Morrell is a dermatologist who publicly labels himself as a “DEI unbeliever.” Knowing this, I can admit how reluctant I would be to share with him which stressors consistently trigger eczema flares for me – because I have learned that my eczema is predominantly a manifestation of the physical, mental and emotional harm that comes from frequently experiencing race-based mistreatment. 

Although counterintuitive, it is an act of self-preservation to withhold certain personal health concerns from doctors who appear openly antagonistic to the micro- and macro-hostilities Black people may often encounter. Is it then truly inconceivable that some Black patients may struggle to shake feelings of mistrust in doctors? The data consistently tells us that Black mothers continue to have the highest rates of pregnancy complications and deaths in the U.S., but some hospitals are still struggling to recognize labor pains and ensure safe deliveries of their Black babies. Audre Lorde taught us years ago that “Caring for is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

All physicians take an oath to “Do no harm,” and there absolutely are White male physicians who provide exceptional care to Black patients. To think otherwise is extraordinarily problematic and patently untrue. It is also mathematically impossible for Black patients to receive care exclusively provided by Black doctors since Black doctors comprise approximately 5 percent of the physician workforce. Yet, when possible, it is an accommodation that may improve health outcomes in certain patients. However, this does not change the need for the highest standards in educating and training all doctors to achieve expertise in providing compassionate, evidence-based, and culturally responsive care for every single patient they will encounter.

In reality, this Do No Harm lawsuit is another misguided attempt to distort the necessity of implementing effective “DEI” strategies that produce better outcomes for the medical profession. Racial prejudice in healthcare can never be eliminated if all evidence of its existence is erased. A ruling in the plaintiff’s favor will not be a success for eradicating harmful “DEI” practices. Instead, it risks reestablishing the more dangerous attitudes and actions that exacerbate race-based health disparities. (It is also notable that lawsuits against similar online directories have not been pursued). 

Rather than rewarding this brand of activism, it is important to focus on interrupting the harms being disproportionately experienced by certain groups of patients. Given the persistence of health disparities overwhelmingly affecting Black Americans, resources should be deployed to support a variety of solutions, including a free online directory that helps people find qualified Black physicians.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.

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