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Doctor sues Kaiser Permanente over alleged racism
A rally will be held outside the Kaiser Permanente Medical School in Pasadena. It's to show support for Black doctors and one doctor who is taking Kaiser Permanente to court.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - Dr. Aysha Khoury, a specialist in internal medicine, used to teach at Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine in Pasadena, but in January 2021, she was dismissed.
"Racism is not just about being called a name or being threatened with a noose, it's about being over-policed, it's about being micromanaged," Dr. Khoury told FOX 11.
Dr. Khoury says a candid conversation with her students about racism and healthcare disparities cost her teaching job.
"I started to realize that what happened to me has been happening to others and the most devastating stories are the stories of residents who have completed medical school, have a degree, have completed and passed exams and now find themselves terminated, carrying, you know, almost a quarter million dollars in debt," said Dr. Khoury.
Statistics show that in medical residency, Black residents account for only 5% of the entire resident population but make up 20% of dismissals from training programs.
Dr. Khoury has filed a lawsuit against Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine. A second Black doctor is also suing the school claiming racial discrimination.
The school issued the following statement:
On Friday morning, black doctors, medical students, nurses and patients will be holding a rally outside of Kaiser Permanente Medical School in Pasadena to bring awareness to a new campaign called #BlackDocsBelong.
"We are in a healthcare crisis in this country, we have a shortage of doctors and the dismal of black doctors for absolutely nothing that has to do with education or patient care, is absolutely unjust," Dr. Khoury said.
Below is a copy of the lawsuit filed by the second doctor, Derrick Morton: