Serving the Underserved
Efforts are underway in Congress to amend legislation to improve diversity within the health professions.
By Michael Scott
Efforts to expand diversity in the health professions has received a boost from a prominent member of Congress. U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., recently introduced a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act as part of a comprehensive initiative to improve the health of minority and other underserved populations. This bill, which is being co-sponsored by Democratic Sens. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Barack Obama of Illinois and Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, would include funding for the country’s colleges and universities to recruit, train and retain minority students in the health professions.
The proposed amendment comes on the heels of two studies documenting the barriers colleges and universities face in advancing health career opportunities for under-represented populations. Groundbreaking reports published by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and the Sullivan Commission on Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce examine the low levels of minority participation in these professions and provide recommendations on the role of higher education institutions in reversing the trend.
Research by several prominent health care foundations suggests that the failure in diversifying the health professions has significantly hampered the delivery of medical care to minorities. Leading experts argue that the insufficient representation of minority physicians, nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists and other industry professionals are among the major factors contributing to the disparities found in patient treatment and outcomes based on race and ethnicity.
