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North Carolina Hospitals Declare Racism A Public Health Crisis

(AP Photo/Mic Smith)

The group representing all 130 hospitals in North Carolina has released a statement declaring racism to be a public health crisis. 

The North Carolina Healthcare Association has announced an intensified focus on creating equitable care for all patients.

In a statement released on Wednesday, officials said persistent racism is among several social injustices driving widening disparities in care that disproportionately harm people of color. The association says marginalized groups are being especially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The statement pledges a commitment to addressing issues related to racial justice, patient experience, and harm reduction when it comes to bias in patient care.

One ingredient in a multi-pronged approach is anti-bias professional development training for employees at all staff levels.

The group will also track data needed to accurately identify gaps in care delivery and patient outcomes. And they plan to identify and implement best practices in reducing disparities.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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