Friday, July 11, 2008
News / Chicagoland A black doctor discusses the AMA apology
Posted by Whet Moser on Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Q. Have you ever been a member of the AMA?
A. Hell no. And the reason why is because the AMA has a long history of racism and discrimination against public health and national health insurance. The National Medical Association had to be formed because the AMA wouldn't let black physicians in.
The American Medical Association famously apologized yesterday for being racist, details TK next week. Judith Graham from the Trib's Triage medical blog talked to Dr. Carl Bell, a professor at UIC's med school, about racial discrimination in the medical establishment. Definitely worth a read.
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As a Mississippi Black physician, Baptist Medical Missionary and national advocate for health care for the poor and disenfranchised, I was glad to learn of the American Medical Association (AMA) apology for racial discrimination against black physicians. However, I feel the apology falls short of what is needed to bring healing and racial reconciliation to nation's black physicians. I consider the apology by the AMA for historic racial discrimination against African-American physicians a necessary first step toward the resolution of a greater problem. The apology does not include recent discriminatory policies and practices that have been supported by AMA leadership. I hope that former AMA President and board member, Dr. J. Edward Hill, will apologize for what he has done to undermine the medical practices of black physicians practicing in the poorest counties in America. Dr. J. Edward Hill, while President of the AMA, was a board member of the Medical Assurance Company of Mississippi (MACM), the primary company for providing medical malpractice insurance for Mississippi physicians at the time. MACM's all white physician Board of Directors refused to renew the medical malpractice insurance policies of several black physicians, forcing me to close my Christian Family Health Centers in some of the poorest counties in America, located for in the Mississippi Delta in 2004. I have never had a medical malpractice judgement or claim against his medical practice after over 15 years of service to the poorest of the poor. I believe the AMA must also openly and honestly address the issue of restitution from past and present policies and practices of discrimination toward black physicians. Let us not forget our black patients whose access to health care has been limited because of discrimination against black physicians. Black physicians have lost their practices and livelihood because of racism. The medical profession needs healing from the legacy of racial discriminatory policies supported by the AMA. I stand ready to work with the AMA to accomplish that goal. "DOC" Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D. Founder & Chairman American Pain Institute (API) National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) National Juneteenth Christian Leadership Council (NJCLC) Myers Foundation For Indigent Health Care & Community Development www.AMAApology.com www.Juneteenth.us www.njclc.com www.19thofJune.com www.AmericanPainInstitute.org www.MyersFoundation.net
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