Dr. Arthur Bracey, chief of clinical pathology at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and a professor of pathology and immunology at Baylor College of Medicine, arrived to Houston in 1981, at a time when, he remembers, " there were very few black physicians in the Medical Center." Now, he highlights, there's still no parity but the African-American doctors are a "growing group."
However, as a doctor, the biggest disparity that he sees comes from patients: There's still a big difference in the socioeconomic status between African-Americans and others, which results in disparities as well in terms of longevity and health.
And that's why, Dr. Bracey explains, representation matters in the medical field: "What I would hope is that as we have more of us involved in medical care, that we can begin to look at the bigger picture. "
He thinks that community engagement and political engagement in addressing the African-American community's challenges to access health care are crucial.
Watch his conversation with KPRC's Khambrel Marshall.