FSMB Symposium on Racism and Disparities in Health Care Now Available Online
January 26 symposium featured discussion by national policy leaders
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 4, 2021) The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) released today a video recording of “Health Equity and Medical Regulation: How Disparities are Impacting U.S. Health Care Quality and Delivery and Why it Matters" – a symposium it hosted on January 26. The recording of the event is accessible for public viewing.
The three-hour symposium, which explored issues related to racism, implicit bias and other factors driving disparities in U.S. health care, featured keynote speeches by Marc Morial, JD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Urban League, and former FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, Director of the Robert J. Margolis Center for Health Policy at Duke University, along with a moderated panel-discussion featuring leaders in health equity.
Panelists included Aletha Maybank, MD, MPH, the American Medical Association's Chief Health Equity Officer; Leonard Weather Jr., MD, RPh, a member of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners and a Past President of the National Medical Association; and Diana Currie, MD, a member of the Washington Medical Commission. The panel was moderated by FSMB’s President and CEO, Humayun J. Chaudhry, DO, MACP.
“The statistics are clear and compelling: Despite the wonderful advances and promise of American medicine over many decades, health care continues to be delivered on an unequal playing field,” said FSMB Chair Cheryl Walker-McGill, MD, MBA, who served as host of the symposium. “In this environment, every sector in the U.S. has a role to play in seeking to help, including the medical regulatory community.”
During the symposium, speakers highlighted the core causes of health care disparities and explored formal initiatives launched in response by physician organizations – such as the American Medical Association and National Medical Association – and by state medical boards, including the Washington State Medical Commission.
Late last year, the FSMB hosted a webinar titled “Ensuring Fairness in Medical Regulation: Can Implicit Bias Be Overcome?” and it has indicated that it will continue to encourage state medical boards to proactively address issues related to health inequity.
“Each of us has the power to do something about this issue…to make quality health care accessible to all Americans and to even the playing field so that health outcomes are truly equitable, regardless of race or background, said Dr. Walker-McGill. “This is an opportunity for state medical boards to ask – what could we be doing differently to address racism, implicit bias and health inequity?”
The video recording of the symposium may be used for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit. To learn more, please visit the symposium’s registration page.
About the Federation of State Medical Boards
The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) is a national non-profit organization representing all medical boards within the United States and its territories that license and discipline allopathic and osteopathic physicians and, in some jurisdictions, other health care professionals. The FSMB serves as the voice for state medical boards, supporting them through education, assessment, research and advocacy while providing services and initiatives that promote patient safety, quality health care and regulatory best practices. To learn more about FSMB, visit www.fsmb.org. You can also follow FSMB on Twitter (@theFSMB).