Care Culture in America: Who's Not Being Served?

Racial bias in healthcare remains a critical challenge in the United States, disproportionately impacting health outcomes for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous patients. For example, Black and Indigenous women in the United States face maternal mortality rates up to three times higher than their white counterparts, highlighting the devastating effects of structural racism and implicit bias which often are further perpetuated through medical education and physician culture. While global maternal mortality rates have decreased over recent decades, the U.S. remains an outlier among industrialized nations, with maternal death rates worsening, in large part because of this systemic racial bias. However, the impact of this systemic racism is not unique to the United States: Indigenous people in Canada and Black people living in the UK also face significantly higher maternal mortality rates compared to their respective white populations. 

Dr. Roshan Sethi, a physician and accomplished screenwriter, has addressed these inequities through his dual careers in medicine and media. As a co-creator and writer for The Resident, a Fox medical drama, Sethi has depicted the deep pain of racial bias in healthcare, and in the episode “If Not Now, When?,” Sethi pulls on the real-life story of Kira Dixon Johnson, a Black woman who died in 2016 from preventable postpartum complications after her concerns were repeatedly dismissed by her medical team. The episode powerfully illustrates the devastating human cost of systemic racial bias in healthcare and the urgent need for change.

Through his work, Sethi sheds light on the injustices within the healthcare system. By weaving real-world issues into the narrative fabric of The Resident, Sethi not only entertains but educates audiences, fostering greater understanding of the structural reforms necessary to achieve equity in care. His unique perspective as both a physician and storyteller positions him as a vital voice in the fight for racial justice in healthcare.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Haldeman Center, 29 North Main Street, Hanover, United States