On National Doctors’ Day, the Shared Harvest Foundation hosts “I Am Not Your Hero” screening and a multi-university panel discussion
Shared Harvest Foundation shines a light on physician suicide rates, burnout, and the state of the healthcare workforce for physicians of color on National Doctors’ Day on March 30 with virtual programming and multiple viewing stages across the country from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (PST) in partnership with universities across the United States.
Shared Harvest is hosting a live screening of their documentary film, “I Am Not Your Hero,” and panel discussion on ‘White Coat Trauma’ at UCLA’s Theatre Hall with coordinated discussions also taking place at Morehouse School of Medicine and with NEMA (New England Medical Association) with live viewing rooms at University of California Riverside, University of California Irvine, USC and other institutions.
“I Am Not Your Hero,” directed by Kelli Kali, explores the unique mental health challenges and experiences of BIPOC doctors. It reveals the toll that caring for others has on African American doctors, mothers and wives – and particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic – and their desire to be seen for who they are: talented doctors and ordinary people.
The film also explores the twin perils of health inequities and systemic racism that plague America’s medical system and are faced by the next generation of doctors and nurses seeking to serve their communities. The U.S. Healthcare System is in a workforce crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic has just exacerbated this crisis. Frontline workers are mentally, emotionally, and financially exhausted. It is estimated that 34% of healthcare providers will experience burnout and will leave the industry in the next four years.
Shared Harvest’s newest initiative, Project #RESUS (short for resuscitation) seeks to RESUScitate the BIPOC medical provider pipeline. The program is intentionally designed to tackle the financial and emotional inequities that these clinicians face and advance health equity by producing and retaining an emotional well and financially secure workforce. Learn more about this initiative at the film’s website, www.ianyhdoc.com, and sign the Project #RESUS pledge.
The endangerment of BIPOC medical practitioners is a public health crisis which adversely impacts access to quality and equitable care in vulnerable communities in the U.S. and across the globe. Therefore, the goal of the film and these discussions is to:
- Amplify the message that healthcare practitioners also need care and also face financial, emotional and access inequities when seeking mental health services
- Illuminate the racial and gender disparities in mental health outcomes and treatment – particularly in the aftermath of COVID-19
- Promote awareness of the wellness and belonging needs of BIPOC medical practitioners in order to advance a sustainable practice and pipeline
“Physician burnout has reached epidemic levels over the past several years, fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians and learners of color have been particularly impacted due to the added burden of systemic racism. Morehouse School of Medicine is dedicated to supporting the wellbeing of our providers and trainees so that they can continue to overcome these challenges and lead the creation and advancement of health equity,” said Dr. Walter Conwell, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Morehouse School of Medicine.
To register to view or attend the panel discussions, visit http://bit.ly/shf_doctorsday. For more information, email Monique Webber at [email protected].
