Do No Harm v. Atlantic Health System, Inc.

On July 28, 2026, Do No Harm filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (HHS-OCR) against Atlantic Health System for operating a racially discriminatory pediatric training program for fourth-year medical students. The complaint calls on HHS-OCR to investigate the program’s preference for “underrepresented” racial groups and find a violation of federal anti-discrimination laws. 

Atlantic Health System, a nonprofit hospital that receives substantial federal funding, offers a “Minority Visiting Clerkship Program” providing training in pediatric medicine and various educational benefits to fourth-year medical students. To prioritize “diversity” and “inclusion”, the program bases its selection process on race, restricting applicants to members of so-called underrepresented in medicine groups (URIM). 

Merit, academic excellence, and a commitment to serving patients must be the determinants when Atlantic Health selects the most qualified students for programs impacting the care of this nation’s children. 

The United States Supreme Court has been clear that efforts to purportedly ensure racial diversity or balance disparities provide no justification for race-based programs under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Such acts of discrimination are in direct violation of both Title VI and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.