The Time Is Now: Racism and the Responsibility of Emergency Medicine to Be Antiracist

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the ongoing pandemic of racial injustice. In the context of these twin pandemics, emergency medicine organizations are declaring that “Racism is a Public Health Crisis.” Accordingly, we are challenging emergency clinicians to respond to this emergency and commit to being antiracist. This courageous journey begins with naming racism and continues with actions addressing the intersection of racism and social determinants of health that result in health inequities. Therefore, we present a social-ecological framework that structures the intentional actions that emergency medicine must implement at the individual, organizational, community, and policy levels to actively respond to this emergency and be antiracist.

Strategies to Integrate the Practice of Social Emergency Medicine Into Routine Patient Care

“…Adopting a standardized tool for assessing patients' social needs and social risks facilitates clinical decision-making for ED providers. As ED providers we should be equipped to easily link patients to community resources upon discharge (Franks, Gipson, Kaltiso, Osborne, & Heron, 2021). Equipping EDs through use of technology with access to social workers, case managers, or community health workers supports the practice of social emergency medicine and achieving health equity.…”

“…Strategies that focus on decreasing institutional racism require educating staff on implicit bias and eliminating the stereotyping of patients. Cultural competence is required for ED providers to initiate effective shared decision-making (Franks et al, 2021). The clinical decision-making process must also take into account SDOH.…”

Diversity, equity, inclusion, justice—Are we accountable?

“…Franks challenges us to think about all aspects of racism and the link to advancing health equity. 5 Racism is about systems, processes, and structures, not people. 6 Being seen is an important part of equity.…”

A GeoHealth Call to Action: Moving Beyond Identifying Environmental Injustices to Co‐Creating Solutions

“…Multiple medical organizations have declared racism a public health crisis, including the American Public Health Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, and American Hospital Association (ACEP, 2020 ; AHA, 2021 ; APHA, 2022 ). With awareness and acknowledgment of the intersection of racism and social determinants of health (Franks et al., 2021 ), we call for GeoHealth scientists and practitioners to incorporate and elevate the principles of the well‐established field of Environmental Justice in their work. As defined by Dr. Robert D. Bullard, often referred to as The Father of Environmental Justice, “Environmental Justice embraces the principle that all people and communities are entitled to equal protection of environmental and public health laws and regulations” (Bullard, 1996 ).…”