Paul Fleming

racism in healthcare

Structural Racism Is Not an Exemption from Accountability

In February 2021, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) tweeted, “No physician is racist, so how can there be structural racism in health care?” The tweet was designed to promote a podcast that was ostensibly focused on structural racism yet did not include experts on the topic. The subsequent uproar highlighted the harm caused by deep intentional ignorance of the term structural racism, defined in the American Journal of Public Health as “policies and practices…that confer advantages on people considered White and ideologies that maintain these advantages, while simultaneously oppressing other racialized groups.”

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Faculty Team Hopes to Galvanize Anti-Racism in Public Health Education

As public health faculty passionate about health equity, Melissa Creary and Paul Fleming have spent their careers observing the ways in which racism creates barriers to health for communities. Now, the pair are laying plans to make an impact on public health education through anti-racist teaching, beginning in their own backyard.

Microscopic image of a coronavirus

Coronavirus: Why Hispanics Are at Higher Risk to Suffer Health, Economic Consequences

Q&A with Paul Fleming and William Lopez

US Hispanics are more likely than their white white counterparts to be affected by coronavirus independently of their immigration status. Two University of Michigan School of Public Health experts explain why, and offer some solutions the federal government could use to mitigate these negative consequences.

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A National Hotspot: The Coronavirus in Detroit

Q&A with Paul Fleming

Paul Fleming is an assistant professor of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health with deep ties to Detroit. He explains the social and structural factors in place in Detroit that have contributed to it becoming one of the nation’s coronavirus hotspots.

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IN THE NEWS: Researchers: We're Already Seeing the Effects of Trump's Green Card Rule

New Op/Ed from Paul Fleming and William Lopez

The Trump administration has finalized a new rule for green card applications to emphasize an applicant’s wealth and ability to avoid using public benefits in order to obtain legal status. It is having a significant impact on whether U.S. citizens, current green card holders, and others are willing to access health care, nutritious foods, or affordable housing.