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Endorse Dr. Amelie Ramirez’s Comment on Racial Equity and Diversity in Research!
The National Institutes of Health's UNITE initiative needs feedback on how to advance racial equity and diversity in research.
Dr. Amelie Ramirez, Salud America! leader, believes that increasing diversity in researchers and clinical trial participants will boost health equity, especially for Latinos and others of color.
If you agree, endorse Dr. Ramirez's comment to NIH!
Dear NIH UNITE leaders,
Increasing racial equity and diversity in the biomedical research workforce will help us achieve true health equity, particularly for marginalized groups like Latinos, who suffer from disproportionate health issues due to historic systemic racism, discrimination, and implicit bias in the healthcare system.
Diversity in the biomedical research workforce can be addressed twofold: increasing diversity in higher education for medical degrees and addressing systemic racism and implicit bias within healthcare and clinical trials.
To increase diversity in medical schools, there must be an interest and awareness for a career medicine early on. This can be addressed through mentorship programs, internships, and fellowships that NIH funds with under-resourced communities, increased financial aid for minority students seeking higher education, and organizations that support minority students once in medical school. NIH should support programs that address the lack of diversity in the doctoral and research fields, such as the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program, which significantly increased Latino and Latino-focused trainees’ confidence to apply to a doctoral program and academic self-efficacy (https://salud.to/exitostudy).
Systemic racism and implicit bias are ingrained in the healthcare field, but steps can be taken to address this. A study found that while 45% of Latino and Black physicians experienced racial epithets or refusal of care from patients, 84% did not report discriminatory instances to their leadership, indicating a lack of support or resources for minority physicians (https://salud.to/physicianbias). Interpersonal training on implicit bias and establishing a support system in instances of bias and racism will help address this. One particular tool is the Salud America! implicit bias action pack (https://salud.to/seebias).
Additionally, steps must be taken to address the large racial/ethnic gap in clinical trials and research. Latinos represent 18.5% of the U.S. population, but are less than 10% of those in federal cancer and drug studies. With the use of culturally relevant digital health communications, advocacy networks, and clinical partnerships, we can reach more diverse communities that are often left out of trials and research.
Thank you,
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, Director, Salud America!
Thank you for speaking up for research diversity!
You can take more action now at the Salud America! website:
Download the free Salud America! "Get Your City to Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis" Action Pack. The Action Pack will help you get input from local social justice groups and advocates of color, start a conversation with city leaders, and build local support for a resolution to declare racism a public health issue along with a commitment to take action to change policies and practices.
Discover the State of Health Equity in Your Community. The Salud America! Health Equity Report Card generates local housing, transit, healthcare, and other data so you can drive the healthy change your community needs most.
Thanks again for your support!
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, Director, Salud America!