Medical Schools Face Calls for More Change as States Declare Racism a Threat to Public Health

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that while white people have the highest overall percentage of COVID-19 cases in the nation, racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected by the disease and are dying at higher rates. Experts are looking to medical schools to identify strategies to improve care for people of color and eliminate disparities related to a patient's race or ethnicity. Erika Johnson, a 2020 graduate from the University of Arizona College of Nursing, has committed to mentoring Black students. "The experience of racism is not one of just an annoyance. Those things have real biological impacts," Johnson said.