DEI is coming for your health care, and maybe even your health. In the name of “equity,” America’s top health care systems are now segregating or excluding some patients from life-saving programs based on race. These new programs mark a dangerous turn for American health care, where picking and choosing among preferred racial groups is the new standard of care.
Take Cleveland Clinic, for instance. This world-class health care system runs a “Minority Men’s Health Center” and a “Minority Stroke Program” for addressing numerous medical conditions, including stroke, diabetes, and other stroke risk factors; men’s health conditions; and various mental health issues. These programs tout a range of benefits from disease prevention and treatment to specialized providers, transportation assistance, prescription assistance, support groups, and education events.
These are top-notch programs. But they’re “tailored” to minorities. For example, the Minority Stroke Program’s stated focus and goal is “preventing and treating stroke in racial and ethnic minorities.” And so minorities (and only minorities) are encouraged to reach out to the “Minority Stroke Program team” to set up an appointment.
While a recent challenge to these race-based programs apparently prompted Cleveland Clinic to quietly remove all traces of the Minority Men’s Health Center from its website, the clinic’s Minority Stroke Program appears to remain otherwise intact at this time.
Cleveland Clinic defends its racially distinctive stroke program by saying that it helps patients “who need it most” and that the programs are necessary to combat racial disparities. Black and Latino patients, for example, see worse stroke outcomes on average.
But if treating these racial disparities is a valid goal, then why not other disparities? Whites are more likely to suffer from Parkinson’s, macular degeneration, Type 1 diabetes, COPD, skin cancer, cystic fibrosis, osteoporosis, and MS, just to name a few. Should Cleveland Clinic open an MS clinic for white persons? Of course not.
The problem with such racial health equity models is that they use race as a proxy for legitimate health risks. A higher incidence of stroke in a given race does not necessarily mean that race itself is causing strokes. A leading study of racial disparities in stroke outcomes identifies various risk and potential factors: diabetes; hypertension; heart disease or other cardiovascular-related conditions; smoking; low socioeconomic status (such as education level); obesity or physical inactivity; inflammation; vascular factors; sleep apnea; and mental health. Race is not on the list.
Hellbound and Down 