​The newsroom includes press releases, recent media coverage, publication updates, and highlights key information about the Mullan Institute programs and its experts. For media inquiries, contact Kathleen Fackelmann, Director of Media Relations, at kfackelmann@gwu.edu or 202-994-8354.

Coverage of Mullan Institute COVID-19 Initiatives

Edward Salsberg was quoted in this recent Forbes article addressing diversity in the health workforce by Richard Fowler in Forbes. Read the full article here. 

Health disparities are a continual problem in the United States. According to Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity at The George Washington University, people of color experience poorer outcomes and shorter life expectancy than their white counterparts. The underrepresentation of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people in many healthcare professions — including those requiring an advanced degree — contributes to these health gaps.
 "COVID-19 has made health disparities more evident," said Edward Salsberg, a researcher for the Mullan Institute of Health Workforce Equity. "Having a diverse healthcare workforce is a key component to solving these disparities and ensuring quality healthcare for Black patients, especially with regards to patient communications, preventative care, and patient satisfaction."

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the ongoing shortage of health workers, leaving many health care facilities short-staffed even as the number of nationwide coronavirus cases plummets, experts say.

"Nurse shortages are a long-standing issue, but because of COVID, it is anticipated to grow even more by next year," Dr. Ernest Grant, president of the American Nurses Association, told ABC News. "Nurses and other health workers are overworked and they are exhausted from the pandemic."
​
Although nursing wages have in many cases improved in recent years, many nurses and nursing assistants have struggled with low pay, long hours and inadequate staffing -- issues that were highlighted during the pandemic, but not addressed, Grant said. As a result, hospitals and long-term care facilities are continuing to see older nurses retire and others simply leave their jobs, said Grant.

(CNN)Black adults were more likely than their White and Latino/Hispanic counterparts to report having been discriminated against or judged unfairly by a health care provider or their staff in the months leading up to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new analysis finds.

The report was released this week by the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The study, conducted in September 2020, found that 10.6% of Black nonelderly adults said they faced discrimination while seeking care based on their race, sexual orientation, disability, gender or health condition, compared to 3.6% of White adults and 4.5% of Latino adults. Race and ethnicity were the top factors cited in unfair treatment.

Among the Black adults who participated, women and low-income individuals faced the highest rates of discrimination, the report said.

Dulce Gonzalez, research associate at the Urban Institute, said the findings are consistent with data revealed in similar studies about discrimination in health care. "Discrimination and unfair judgment in a health care setting can result in serious ramifications to health and have cumulative adverse effects on people's lives," Gonzalez said in a statement.

Mona Shah, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which funded the study, said the unfair treatment of Black people seeking health care "cannot be tolerated anymore."

"Tackling health inequities stemming from racism or unfair treatment requires public policy, industry practices, and medical education that builds trust and addresses implicit bias and the historical roots of racism in the medical system," Shah said in a statement.
​
The findings in the Urban Institute report come as the nation looks to end a Covid-19 pandemic that has impacted people of color at higher rates than White people. Still, some Black and Latino Americans have been hesitant to get the vaccine because of the nation's history of racism in medical research and healthcare.A recent study by George Washington University revealed that Black, Latino and Native Americans were largely underrepresented in the health care workforce. Researchers say more diverse representation is key to improving health outcomes for communities of color, including the Covid-19 spread.
​
Health advocates and civil rights leaders have criticized some states for lagging with equitable vaccine access for communities of color. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced he was moving up the deadline for states to make all adults eligible for the vaccine to April 19. The initial deadline was May 1.