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Michigan Governor Whitmer: Health Professionals Must Be Trained On Implicit Bias

   DailyWire.com
Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Democratic gubernatorial nominee, speaks with a reporter after a Democrat Unity Rally at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel August 8, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan.
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Noting the fact that the black community has been hit hard by the coronavirus, a state of Michigan task force titled the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities surmised that one of the reasons for the impact on black communities is implicit bias in the medical community. On Thursday, Michigan Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer released an Executive Directive stating, “I am calling on the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to establish new rules requiring all health care professionals to receive training on implicit bias and the way it affects delivery of health care services.”

Michigan state officials report that the black population in the state, which comprises 14% of the state’s population, has experienced 30% of all coronavirus cases and 40% of coronavirus deaths, according to ClickOnDetroit.

Whitmer’s directive stated:

To be sure, the causes of these disparities are multiple and complex. Social determinants of health such as education, employment, and environmental factors—all of which correlate with race and ethnicity—are part of the explanation. Research also shows that disparities result in part because of differences in the delivery of medical services to people of different races. concluded that white patients received care of a higher quality than did Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and Asian Americans. People of color face more barriers to accessing health care than do white people, and are generally less satisfied with their interactions with health care providers.

She continued, “These disparities can arise even when not intended because of the prevalence of what is sometimes called implicit bias: thoughts and feelings that, by definition, often exist outside of conscious awareness, and therefore are difficult to control.But they can shape behavior, including the behavior of health care professionals. One way to reduce disparities in health outcomes, therefore, is to seek to eliminate the unconscious biases, misconceptions, and stereotypes that can lead to disparities in how health care is provided.”

“The practical impact of Executive Directive 2020-7  means those looking to get a new license or wants to renew their medical license will have to undergo bias training,” ClickOnDetroit added.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attribute the severity of the coronavirus among racial and minority groups to systemic health and social inequities, writing: 

Long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put some members of racial and ethnic minority groups at increased risk of getting COVID-19 or experiencing severe illness, regardless of age. Among some racial and ethnic minority groups, including non-Hispanic black persons, Hispanics and Latinos, and American Indians/Alaska Natives, evidence points to higher rates of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 than among non-Hispanic white persons. As of June 12, 2020, age-adjusted hospitalization rates are highest among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native and non-Hispanic black persons, followed by Hispanic or Latino persons.

  • Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native persons have a rate approximately 5 times that of non-Hispanic white persons,
  • non-Hispanic black persons have a rate approximately 5 times that of non-Hispanic white persons,
  • Hispanic or Latino persons have a rate approximately 4 times that of non-Hispanic white persons.

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