WASHINGTON (March 31, 2021)  — In 2019, Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans were severely underrepresented in the health care workforce, a trend that shows limited signs of improvement, according to a study published today by George Washington University researchers.

“Our findings suggest that Blacks, Latinos and other people of color have been left behind when it comes to the health professions,” Edward Salsberg, senior research scientist and co-director of the Health Workforce Diversity Tracker project at the GW Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity, said. The Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity is based at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health.
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Salsberg, who is the lead author, said the study is one of the first to measure the representation of Blacks, Latinos and other minorities in the current workforce and compare it to the diversity of the future workforce across health professions. The findings are important because minority health professionals play a critical role in efforts to reduce the disproportionate burden of diseases, including COVID-19, among communities of color. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 4, 2020) – The Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity, based at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, today announced that Toyese Oyeyemi, Jr., has been named Director of the Beyond Flexner Alliance program.

​Oyeyemi, who started Sept. 1, previously served as a Health Extension Regional Officer and researcher at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. As a public health practitioner and researcher, Oyeyemi is committed to finding innovative solutions to improve community health and increasing diversity and inclusion in the healthcare workforce. As director of the Beyond Flexner Alliance, Oyeyemi’s primary focus will be to connect leaders in healthcare with one another, encourage new practices of global learning within the alliance, and engage a broader and more inclusive set of social mission stakeholders and programming into the program’s work.

The purpose of the State Hospital Workforce Deficit Estimator is to help states and the federal government gauge the demand for health care professionals under different scenarios of COVID 19 infection rates and attrition. Attrition refers to the loss of health care workers due to illness, childcare or other reasons, such as burnout. The estimator allows state and federal policymakers to plan for looming spikes in COVID-19 cases and prepare by developing surge staffing plans, implementing emergency licensing for inactive health personnel, and/or recruiting from other states and the federal health workforce, among other measures.
Find the article here.

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