Dr. Thomas Dean Sequist, Chief Patient Experience and Equity Officer at Healthcare Anchor Network member Mass General Brigham, testified at the U.S. House of Representative’s hearing on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color. He spoke about about the impact the pandemic has had in Chelsea, MA, as well as on the Navajo reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico.
The hearing pointed out that racism, not race, has led to COVID-19’s disparate impact. Racial minorities face overcrowding in housing, lack of access to grocery stores, and health care access barriers including the availability of bilingual and bi-cultural staff.