Renewing our struggle against racism in all its forms and expressions

I would like to declare today, June 1, 2020 as a day of re-commitment in honor of Mr. George Floyd and the countless others in our nation, throughout our history, who have suffered from the evil effects of racism. We cannot let this crime of murder be just another story that is told: we must call ourselves to action.

In response, I recently reached out to our entire staff to ask for their input on what actions we as an organization can take to honor Mr. Floyd and the others before him.

To start, I propose:

1. A re-commitment to our work in transforming the Institute into an anti-racist organization;
2. Reaffirming our goal of treating all of our patients and each other with dignity and respect;
3. Explicitly including teachings on racism and its impact on health and healthcare in the curriculum for all students, residents and fellows who train with us;
4. Establishing a defined set of guidelines and behaviors that guide our anti-racist corporate actions, no later than December 2020.

I am committed to accelerating our work at the Institute to attack racism in every way possible.  It is a challenging time for our organization, but this work cannot be put on the back burner because of the coronavirus. Rather, the enormous disparity in impact that the virus has had on black and brown people should move us even more rapidly to action.

Neil Calman, MD
President and CEO
The Institute for Family Health