As a community based practice, Hudson Heights Pediatrics (HHP) is committed to addressing the disparities in care that children receive based on their race. Racism is a social determinant of health which has many measured physical and mental health impacts. At HHP, we are working to further understand the role of racism in child and adolescent health, with the hope to better provide care that seeks to combat these inequities.
We condemn the practices of brutality that lead to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many other African Americans who have perished due to these injustices. The fact that these deaths occurred in the midst of a pandemic, which has disproportionately affected people of color only serves to further underscore these inequities.
As Dr. Goza said in the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) recent statement, 'We must dismantle racism at every level, from individual to institutional to systemic. Our nation did not get here overnight, and the road to progress and healing will be long and difficult, but the work we have before us is essential. Our children’s future will be built on these moments of reckoning'.
As a pediatric practice, we look forward to partnering with the families and organizations in our community to do what we can to bring that much needed peaceful change.
We know this is a difficult time to have uncomfortable conversations about race and the current protests. Please see the following links to help you talk with your child about race and conflict:
Books to facilitate discussing race with your children:
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