Racism Is Killing Black Men, Even in Health Care
The recent death of Bernard Tyson, Kaiser Permanente’s CEO, reminds us of the harm that socioeconomic status can’t offset
Earlier this month, Bernard Tyson, the CEO of Kaiser Permanente, died unexpectedly in his sleep. He was 60. Tyson was a singular figure, and the outpouring of stories that trailed the announcement of his death captured the picture of a charismatic, inspiring leader.
Tyson may have been one-of-a-kind, but his death was characteristic of so many other Black men in America: It was too damn early. Black men in the U.S. have a shorter life expectancy than white men by almost five years, a survival gap mostly attributable to differences in cardiovascular mortality. That simple difference encapsulates a whole universe of “less.” There is less recognition of cardiovascular disease risk factors, less evidence-based treatment overall and less timely treatment when it is received, and less of a chance of surviving after surgeries like coronary artery bypass. There is also less research involving Black participants, less funding of Black researchers, less representation of Black physicians and nurses within care teams, and thus, less racially concordant care.
