The past few months have been among the saddest and most disturbing in recent memory. George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many other victims of racial injustice, should be here with us today—not just victims of inhumane police brutality, but victims of the pervasive systemic racism in our country.
These senseless killings serve as a reminder that systemic and institutional racism has continued in America for over 400 years, generating racial, social, and economic inequality for Black people and people of color in our society.
Sadly, in addition to being affected by the ongoing pandemic of racism, communities of color have disproportionately been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. These communities, made up of essential workers, have kept New York City operating while bearing the brunt of the pandemic’s severe health and economic impacts.
We did not arrive at this place overnight, and we must commit ourselves to the hard work of turning around a system that routinely and purposely seeks to keep a significant portion of our society excluded.
Certainly, the reform of our law enforcement infrastructure is an immediate necessity. We must tackle racism head-on and without fear, knowing that major elements of our society must undergo an immediate and radical change.
The programs that support the underserved must also be rebuilt. The social determinants of health — housing, hunger, employment, education, transportation, and environment — must be made more equitable to counter the racist biases inherently built into them.
Ryan Health was founded on principles of social justice. We know that our healthcare system is broken and has flaws in it, and we’ve been advocating changes to make it more equitable. We say health care is a right, not a privilege, and we all must mean it! We still have much work to do and are committed to addressing systemic racism.
Black Lives Matter. Ryan Health stands in solidarity in the fight against racism.
Caring For New York. Here For You.
Brian McIndoe, MPH
President & CEO