April 04, 2008
Physician diversity and health disparities
A new study by UCSF's Center for California Health Workforce Studies finds that the medical workforce in California is not representative of the state's population.
From the Sacramento Bee:
Latinos make up nearly a third of the state's population but only 5 percent of California's physician work force.
"It's not just a civil rights issue, but a public health issue," said Dr. Kevin Grumbach, director of the UCSF center. "Research shows clearly that having more minority physicians improves access to care for the U.S. population, because they are more likely to take care of patients who have no insurance or who are covered by Medi-Cal."
The study also found that while nearly 7 percent of the state's population is African American, only 3 percent of the state's doctors are.
And while Asians are overrepresented in medicine – making up 26 percent of the state's doctors but just 11 percent of the population – clear disparities remain for some Asian groups, including Samoans, Hmong/Laotians, and Cambodians.
Dr. Claire Pomeroy, dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine, argued that until the medical work force is more representative, health disparities along racial and ethnic lines will mount.
Bonus: Check back Monday for notes from the second program of Unnatural Causes.