Health care workers across Kaiser Permanente Southern California, including hundreds in the West Los Angeles service area, gathered for a moment of silence to call for an end to racial injustice and discrimination and to express support for the Black communities across the region.
On Friday, June 5th, at 12:40 p.m., physicians, nurses, leaders, technicians and other health care workers joined in silence and knelt or stood for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to pay tribute to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others before them whose deaths have sparked a call for greater action to be taken against racism and discrimination in the U.S. Many held signs with messages such as “We Stand Against Injustice and Discrimination,” “Black Lives Matter” and “End Health and Human Inequities.”
Dr. La Tanya Hines, an obstetrician-gynecologist, was one of many physicians who joined the moment of solidarity at the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw medical offices.
“Here was an opportunity to stand with my colleagues for humanity,” said Dr. Hines. “[To stand] for the humaneness of what it is like to be a black woman in America, to be a black female physician, to be a black mother of a black son. To stand up for all those things and to have people standing next to me who believe the same things.”
Dr. Hines, who practices at the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Medical Offices, added, “We are not just Kaiser Permanente in the community; we are Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw. [We are] there specifically to address the needs of health care disparities in our community and bring to bear all the resources that Kaiser Permanente has to mitigate some of the issues of racism that affects our health care.”
Physicians and staff also participated at the new Playa Vista medical offices, which is slated to open on June 16, 2020. Dr. Rathin Vora, physician in charge, Kaiser Permanente Playa Vista Medical Offices, knelt in silence to acknowledge the injustice and suffering.
“Our Kaiser Permanente family stands strongly against all forms of racism, bigotry and discrimination,” said Dr. Vora. “I stand hand in hand to protest the injustices against so many, especially amongst our black communities.”
He added, “I am extremely proud to be a part of our Kaiser Permanente team. We share a common vision to do all we can in our power to right this wrong and stand up against any form of injustice. All human beings deserve a right to thrive.”
