In an era supposedly far removed from the institutional bigotry of prior decades, this inexplicable gap represents an unacceptable failing on the part of both public servants and private industry. I agree with the article's conclusion that the ACA's mandated expansion of federal programs providing health care to underserved communities "will create professional opportunities for doctors, nurses and other health care workers from underrepresented racial, ethnic and economic groups" (Workforce, 2011) because decades of workforce research and statistical evidence suggests that the market is unable or unwilling to do so of its own accord.
As a direct consequence of the workforce composition issues addressed above, the racial and ethnic background of patient groups adversely affects overall health by depleting the effectiveness of health care delivery to disadvantaged groups. The article addressing these disparities declares emphatically that "more than 50 years of efforts...
When census data clearly illustrates that "African-Americans are nearly twice as likely to be uninsured as whites and Hispanics are more than three times as likely to be uninsured," (DeNavas-Walt, Proctor & Smith, 2008) despite advances in racial discrimination awareness, the need for federal intervention is readily apparent.
References
DeNavas-Walt, C., Proctor, B.D., & Smith, J.C.U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. (2008). Income,
poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States: 2007. Retrieved from U.S. Government Printing website: http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/p60-235.pdf
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2011). How does the affordable care act address racial and ethnic disparities in health care?. Health Policy Connection, December, 2011. Retrieved from http://rwjf.org/files/research/howdoestheaffordablecareactaddressracialandethnicdisparitiesinhealthcare.pdf
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2011). How will the affordable care act help diversify the health care workforce? Health Policy Connection, December, 2011. Retrieved from http://rwjf.org/files/research/howwilltheacadiversifythehealthcareworkforce.pdf
