A lawsuit challenging a Philadelphia-area “Black Doctors Directory” has ended in a settlement that opens the listing to physicians of all races and renames it the “Community Health and Wellness Directory,” Broad + Liberty reported.
A national medical advocacy group has reached a settlement with three Philadelphia organizations over a physician directory that previously limited its listings to Black doctors.
Do No Harm, a group launched in 2022 to oppose identity-based practices in medicine, sued the University of Pennsylvania Health System, the Consortium of DEI Health Educators, and WURD Radio in March.
The organization has more than 30,000 members across all 50 states and 14 countries, and has filed more than 170 civil rights complaints since its founding. It also operates a database tracking hospitals that provide transgender medical procedures for minors, citing the University of Pennsylvania as the state’s largest provider of such services.
The lawsuit alleged the groups excluded non-Black physicians from the “Black Doctors Directory,” even if those doctors regularly treated Black patients or focused their careers on reducing health disparities.
“The Directory is founded on the false premise that racial concordance, in which patients are treated by physicians of the same race, improves health outcomes,” the group said in a press release when the suit was filed. “This ideology sows distrust between doctors and patients.”
Under the agreement, the directory will now operate under the race-neutral name “Community Health and Wellness Directory,” and it will accept any licensed physician in the Philadelphia region, provided they demonstrate a commitment to serving historically underserved communities.
Stanley Goldfarb, M.D., chair of Do No Harm, praised the outcome. “We are grateful that the directory is open to physicians of all races,” he said. “Do No Harm has long opposed ‘racial concordance,’ a thoroughly debunked theory that only breeds suspicion and prejudice. When medical providers prioritize expertise and high-quality care, patients will see better health outcomes.”
The University of Pennsylvania Health System also welcomed the resolution. “We are pleased that this matter has been closed, and that this valuable online resource will continue to be available to help patients gather important information about potential health care providers,” said Holly Auer, associate vice president for communications.
“Penn Medicine is deeply committed to providing comfortable, convenient options for patients and communities that we serve, and to offering care that addresses each patient’s unique needs while tackling longstanding health disparities that impact individuals of color.”
WURD Radio, Pennsylvania’s only Black-owned talk station, said in a statement it was “glad to report” the litigation had ended.
“The past several months have been deeply challenging. Media organizations are under attack, as are Black institutions,” the statement read. “WURD remains committed to advancing health equity by making quality health-related information accessible to as many as possible.”
The case follows similar litigation by Do No Harm. Last year, the group sued the University of Washington School of Medicine over a physician directory for medical students that prioritized Black, Indigenous and other minority doctors. That program was also renamed and opened to all races after the lawsuit.
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