CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — Dr. Doug Kelling, who is an Atrium Health physician, spoke at a “White Coats for Black Lives” event, and his message was well-received and met with applause from health care workers.
“You don’t need to be a health care professional to recognize that racism is a disease,” Kelling told the group last week outside of Atrium Health Cabarrus. “This is the same as people with congestive heart failure and diabetes who do not live as long as would be expected.”
In a Facebook video, he said research has proven that those exposed to systemic racism live seven years less than people who are otherwise healthy.
“We as physicians, we as health care professionals, we as human beings need to recognize there are serious problems that have to be dealt with,” Kelling said. “We do recognize racism as a public health crisis.”
Patients from racial minority groups typically have less access to health care and things, such as healthy food, the doctor said.
Chris Bowe, who is the market president at Atrium Health Cabarrus, said not only does the hospital system stand behind Kelling, they’re doing extensive work to provide the resources that are so needed by underserved communities.
“On Juneteenth, today, as we’re having this conversation, it’s important for leaders like Doug and I, as white men, we have to be the change, and we have to be the start of leading this,” Bowe said.
[Channel 9 presents ‘Talking about race’]
Kelling went on to say in the Facebook video: “We do not have to treat this with high-powered antibiotics or a team of therapists or radiation or surgery. The key to treatment of racism is within each of us.”
He continued, “We can treat it with understanding. We can treat it with kindness. We can treat it with compassion, and most importantly, we can treat it with love.
On Tuesday night, Mecklenburg County commissioners declared racism a public health crisis.
Commissioners said in their declaration that racism unfairly disadvantages black and brown people and communities and unfairly gives advantages to other communities.
“Love of our fellow people, love of our community, love of those values we all want to stand for,” Kelling said.
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