Volunteers In Medicine Releases Statement On Racial Justice

From The JAX Chamber:

June 29, 2020

The mission of Volunteers in Medicine is to advance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the working uninsured to improve quality of life for all. Healing is at the forefront of our work.

We are outraged and saddened by the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor that have required public protests against racism and systemic injustice. We continue to stand together with our employees, volunteers and business partners in rejecting behaviors where people of color are not treated fairly and equally as fellow members of the human race.

Volunteers in Medicine believes in a healing, heart-centered and holistic approach to health. According to the American Public Health Association racism is a public health issue. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that the pandemic has highlighted this with COVID-19 death rates of black Americans almost twice as high as those for whites. Black Americans are: 1) more likely than whites to report not being able to see a doctor in the past year because of cost; 2) experiencing higher death rates and higher prevalence rates of chronic conditions and; 3) more likely to experience stigma and systemic inequalities that undermine prevention efforts, increase levels of chronic and toxic stress and ultimately sustain health and health care disparities.

Volunteers in Medicine can do better for our community, our patients, staff, volunteers and board. While we don’t have all the answers, we must be a voice against injustice, asking the hard questions, listening during the uncomfortable conversations and actively participating in affecting change.

Sources:

https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/health-equity/racism-and-health

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/racial-ethnic-minorities.html#9

This press release was produced by The JAX Chamber. The views expressed here are the author’s own.