The "Awoke" AMA: Are they Tone Death?

        We are in the midst of a global social reset. Many countries including the US are trying to become more trans-culturally transparent by attempting to discard institutionalized biases & racism from all fronts of the socioeconomic spectrum. Also, along the same vein, corporations and profit and nonprofit companies & organizations have begun to effectively address workplace inequalities while the healthcare industry is trying to eradicate past healthcare inequities as well.

        So given that premise, we’re all embarking on crucial conversations facilitating change with elevated empathy, sensitivity, and awareness of past poor systemic inequalities perpetuated by our so-called/racist systemic myopic biases infringing on minority &/or marginalized groups (i.e. BIPOC/LGTBQ+).

        Inexcusably, multicultural health disparities & access to care have been long overdue. Naturally, removing these stereotyped attitudinal beliefs and offensive cultural behaviors will require a huge concerted effort from all healthcare industry stakeholders. Therefore, putting into practice this fresh perspective will require the AMA to go beyond their lip service to the patient community & us--the PA community as well.

        If they want to be viewed by an industry and society as an honestly vested leading humble organization as alluded to in their newly embraced & revised organizational diversity policies, then they must openly recognize two current fundamental needs of the PA profession/community as a whole; namely:

1. Recognize OTP (Optimum Team Practice )

2. Recognize our new professional designation–Physician Associate

        Anything short of valuing interprofessional differences or seeking ways to grow and embrace their understanding & support of the PA profession would be hypocritical. Thus, failing to collaborate in building an industry culture where nonphysician providers are not empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to the table, nor increase access to healthcare to vulnerable patient communities is not only disrespectful but downright non-inclusive. And worse yet, an openly exclusionary industry stance if not a flagrant discriminatory practice in the eyes of many non-woke physicians/APPs. 

        Utter hypocrisy at its best...how deaf tone can they really be?