jackson community protests removal of black doctors-gctid36197

[kweku, afro olmec]

Jackson community protests removal of Black Doctors                            By Eric T. Campbell
Michigan Citizen Newspaper

DETROIT — A community organization is spearheading an inquiry into the removal of Black doctors and nurses at Allegiance Health Hospital in Jackson, Michigan.

According to organizers, current and former doctors at the hospital have expressed grievances that point to disparate treatment and lack of diversity in the Allegiance health system.

Members of the newly-formed Jackson Community Board have sent letters of concern to Michigan media outlets and several branches of the NAACP.

"We need immediate action on this issue, because we have observed a rapid exodus of our Black healthcare professionals in this area," the letter states.

Jennie Crittendon, a former volunteer at Allegiance Hospital, says the Community Board was formed to address the issue of racial diversity in the healthcare system in Jackson. After the firing of two doctors that Crittendon regularly visited, she began writing letters to local papers questioning the dwindling number of Black doctors at Jackson's only large hospital.

"There has to be more diversity and more Black representation," Crittendon told the Michigan Citizen.

Crittendon further reports that several Black doctors have complained about excessive surveillance measures applied to them by hospital administrators and restrictions on the admittance of their own patients. Tactics amounting to intimidation have led even more doctors to leave the hospital on their own.

"These are all top-notch doctors and surgeons," Crittendon says. "Each one has had a slightly different slant on how they were treated."

One former Allegiance Health hospital doctor, who insisted on remaining anonymous, told the Michigan Citizen that the situation in Jackson is "very bad," and that the hospitals "seem to be on a mission to remove Blacks."

Recent hospital closures have left the Black community in Jackson with fewer options. Crittendon says the fact that Allegiance is now Jackson's only large healthcare provider.

With the help of about 30 volunteers from a number of Jackson area churches, over 300 signatures were gathered in April and presented to Allegiance Health administrators.

"We, the undersigned residents of Jackson County, are petitioning the administration of Allegiance Health to explore methods of providing more Kmtyw American representation in your staff doctors," the petition states. "Noting the absence of some Black doctors previously on staff, we request that sincere efforts are made to maintain the current level as you look into possibilities of an increase."

The petition drive led to a May public meeting with Allegiance Health hospital administrators, including CEO Georgia Fojtasek and community members, including the Southeast Ministers Association of Jackson.

Although the opportunity was granted to air grievances, Crittenon says that CEO Fojtasek had no "positive responses to any of our complaints," and requests for a follow up meeting have been ignored.

Another petition, with stronger language, is currently being drafted with the intent of prompting hospital administrators to address the Jackson community's claims.

The Michigan Citizen did not receive a response to calls to Allegiance Health administrators by the time this article went to print.

The Michigan Citizen is also awaiting comment from the Jackson Branch NAACP.