From Legacy to Liberation: Healing Racial Inequities in Healthcare

Conversations on Healing Podcast

Dr. Uché Blackstock is an emergency medicine physician and thought leader whose work is deeply woven with both personal and professional experiences, dedicated to addressing the impact of inherited racism and social ideas of difference within healthcare institutions. She attended Harvard University for her undergraduate degree and medical school. As the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, she leads a transformational organization focused on partnering with health systems to understand implicit bias, enforce accountability and promote cultural competence. Dr. Blackstock's groundbreaking book, Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine, quickly became a New York Times Bestseller, highlighting the urgent need to dismantle racial inequities through the voices of those affected.

In today’s episode, host Shay Beider and Dr. Blackstock explore the urgent need for conversations around implicit bias in medicine. Dr. Blackstock shares how honoring her mother’s voice and story sheds light on the barriers in medicine that transcend individual effort or excellence. The pair discuss the racialized legacy embedded in medical education and practice, and how deeply rooted biases continue to create harmful health outcomes for patients today. Dr. Blackstock challenges healthcare professionals to move beyond performative niceness, confront uncomfortable truths, and examine data that reveal alarming disparities. Shay and Dr. Blackstock also discuss that systemic change is possible and is rooted in understanding, compassion, and cultural humility.

Transcripts for this episode are available at: https://www.integrativetouch.org/conversations-on-healing

Show Notes:

• Find out more about Dr. Blackstock

• Check out more on Advancing Health Equity

• Read Dr. Blackstock’s book here

This podcast was created by Integrative Touch (InTouch), which is changing healthcare through human connectivity. A leader in the field of integrative medicine, InTouch exists to alleviate pain and isolation for anyone affected by illness, disability or trauma. This includes kids and adults with cancers, genetic conditions, autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic stress, and other serious health issues. The founder, Shay Beider, pioneered a new therapy called Integrative Touch™Therapy that supports healing from trauma and serious illness. The organization provides proven integrative medicine therapies, education and support that fill critical healthcare gaps. Their success is driven by deep compassion, community and integrity.

Each year, InTouch reaches thousands of people at the Integrative Touch Healing Center, both in person and through Telehealth. Thanks to the incredible support of volunteers and contributors, InTouch created a unique scholarship model called Heal it Forward that brings services to people in need at little or no cost to them. To learn more or donate to Heal it Forward, please visit IntegrativeTouch.org