Atrium Health is aiming to add more diverse doctors to help connect with diverse patients.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The push for more diverse doctors is happening across the country. In Charlotte, Atrium Health is aiming to add more diversity in the medical field.
One of the most important elements for doctors when treating their patients is connection. Atrium Health is looking to build more connections with its patients by adding more diversity within its hospitals.
Research shows a diverse health care workforce can improve the patient’s access to care, their perceptions of the care they receive, and their health outcomes — especially for patients of color
Dr. Ngina Connors, the chair of the OB-GYN department at Atrium Health, says she is noticing the impact.
“It doesn’t just have to be diversity along racial lines, but economic lines, religion, sexual orientation,” she said. “All things when people come together from different backgrounds. That helps to create more diverse thinking.”
Connors said there is evidence to support their efforts.
“There’s also data that shows that when patients interact with providers of the same racial background, they tend to have better outcomes,” she explained.
There’s new research that shows Black people live longer in areas with more Black primary care doctors.
Connors admits diversity is a priority for her when looking to add more medical professionals.
“As a leader in the department, that has been on the forefront of my mind: That we have to diversify our workforce, in order to better take care of our diverse patient populations,” she said.
Connors has been the chair for the last four years. During that time, she’s noticed the impact she’s made with her patients.
“Black women in particular, when I see them as patients, sometimes they’ll say, ‘I’m really glad to have a Black physician. You can understand, you know, what I’m talking about, and understand the concerns that I may have when I go in for delivery.’”
Diversity is a need in the medical field. Statistics from the Association of American Medical Colleges show only 5.7% of U.S. doctors are Black, while the overall Black population in the U.S. is at least 13.6%. But Connors is noticing a change.
“Four years ago, we had one resident of color per the four years. So one out of 24 residents. Today we have five,” she added.
Now, Atrium Health is aiming to add more diversity and reduce healthcare disparities.
“We have a medical school coming here and so we are working to make sure we have diversity within the medical school as well,” she said. “So we have a lot of things on the horizon.”
Contact Myles Harris at mharris5@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.