October has only just started, and already we’ve notched a few major wins.
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) informed Do No Harm this week that three medical schools have discontinued racially discriminatory practices after Do No Harm complaints alleging they violated federal civil rights law.
These are huge victories, and the latest in a spree of good news: last month, the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine rolled back their racially discriminatory programs following our civil rights complaints. Similarly, the Department of Health and Human Services’ OCR is now investigating the Cleveland Clinic for two of its minority health programs thanks to Do No Harm’s complaints.
“These three successful challenges of illegal discrimination demonstrate and reinforce that Do No Harm definitively has federal civil rights laws on our side,” said Do No Harm Senior Fellow Mark J. Perry. “Title VI and Title IX clearly state that it is unlawful for medical schools to discriminate based on race or sex when they offer or promote scholarships, clerkships, fellowships, or academic programs.”
Here are the schools in question:
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (MSU) medical school promoted the American Society of Hematology Minority Medical Student Award Program on its website. The program offered medical students a stipend to participate in research projects, in which they would receive mentorship and access to other networking opportunities.
There was just one catch: only certain races could apply. The program description contained the following disclaimer:
“At the time of application, the applicant must identify as a minority; applicants are asked to self-identify, and participants for the MMSAP are drawn from this pool. For the purposes of this program, minority is defined as a group of people from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in health-related sciences in the United States and Canada. This includes Indigenous American Indians or Alaska Natives, Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, African Canadians, Inuit, and First Nation Peoples.”
Thankfully, the university has delisted the program after Do No Harm filed a complaint alleging the university’s promotion of the program violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
“The University notified OCR that it had since removed the listing of this program from its website,” OCR said in a letter to Do No Harm earlier this week. “OCR searched the University’s website and confirmed that it no longer included any listing for this program.”
Tufts University Medical Center
Similarly, Tufts University’s Medical Center’s Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine operated an anesthesiology-focused summer visiting clerkship at Tufts for students deemed to be “underrepresented” in medicine.
The eligibility requirements stipulated that students must self-identify as Underrepresented in Medicine (URIM) which the University specifically defined as: “Black/African American, Alaskan/Hawaiian Native, Native American and Hispanic American/Latinx.”
Do No Harm filed a civil rights complaint against Tufts over the program in July 2022, and in February 2024 OCR opened a federal civil rights investigation.
Then, this week, OCR told Do No Harm in a determination letter that Tufts had discontinued the program.
“The University informed OCR that the Clerkship was offered one time in the summer of 2022 and has been discontinued,” the letter read.
Better late than never!
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Do No Harm also filed a civil rights complaint against the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science for its physician assistant program targeted exclusively toward black men, Empowerment, Diversity, Growth, and Excellence in Physician Assistant Education (EDGE-PA).
“This unique initiative recruits Black men who are on the precipice of acceptance into a PA program but just need that extra boost to get in,” a press release on the program read.
In response to our civil rights complaint, the university has since updated the program eligibility to instead target “underserved groups, including individuals from medically underserved groups, those committed to serving underserved populations, and those who have overcome significant barriers in their lives.”
It’s a small step, but ending overt racial preferencing is always a good outcome.
“When Do No Harm exposed and challenged the illegal discrimination at Michigan State, Tufts, and Charles R. Drew with federal civil rights complaints, the Office for Civil Rights once again ruled in our favor and forced the three schools to end their race-based and sex-based discrimination,” Perry said.
Medical schools should be on notice: Do No Harm is watching, and we will make sure you are held accountable for any attempts to unlawfully discriminate in violation of your legal obligation to actively enforce all federal civil rights laws including Title VI and Title IX.
Have you been unfairly affected by discriminatory scholarships or programs at your institution, or are you aware of any discrimination at a U.S. medical school? If you or others did not apply because you thought you were ineligible, please let us know – anonymously and securely.
Virginia Tech Recruits Psychologist to Target ‘Latinx’ Students
Uncategorized Virginia DEI Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Medical School, Public university Commentary Do No Harm StaffShould universities target their mental health resources toward certain racial groups?
A resounding “no” might seem obvious, but not according to Virginia Tech. The university recently advertised an open position for “Staff Psychologist/Staff Counselor – Hispanic-Latinx Focus.” As the title suggests, the position specifically focuses on Hispanic students.
The job description has since been removed from Virginia Tech’s website, but a listing remains live on a third-party site.
On the one hand, there is nothing wrong with Virginia Tech’s aim to improve student access to mental health counselors. But specifically directing taxpayer resources toward supporting the mental health of a select ethnic group reeks of racial preferencing. Why not simply improve mental health capabilities for all? Why specifically target certain racial groups?
Well, a glance at the job description reveals that Virginia Tech views its mental health counselors as agents in its effort to improve access to “underserved” students and increase racial diversity among its counseling staff. There’s clearly a strong ideological motivation at work, as well as the belief that the “lived experiences” of Hispanic students requires special care.
“Part of this initiative will include recommendations and strategies to make Virginia Tech more affordable and accessible for underserved students, addressing financial feasibility and student success,” the job description reads.
Additionally, if that weren’t obvious enough one of the job’s preferred qualifications is “strong commitment to social justice and issues of diversity.”
The justification for the position echoes the notion that racial concordance, in which the patient and the healthcare professional are of the same race, produces better outcomes. The weight of evidence shows that this is simply not true.
“Cook Counseling Center supports the academic mission of the university and has focused upon growing the multicultural competence and ethnic and racial diversity of the counseling staff,” the description continues. “The goal for this position is to further our work with Hispanic-Latinx communities and marginalized students as we better understand the lived experiences of these students on this campus.”
Unsurprisingly, this job posting is not an isolated expression of Virginia Tech’s commitment to ideology, but rather reflective of the school’s broad engagement with DEI.
Job descriptions for positions at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine obtained by Do No Harm reveal the extent to which the school’s bureaucracy is saturated with DEI principles.
For instance, the medical school advertised for an “Admissions Specialist” whose duties included demonstrating a “commitment to advancing traditionally underrepresented groups in medicine.”
Similarly, the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs is expected to serve on DEI committees, while the Director of Admissions must have “significant progressive experience in educational training and in recruiting and relating to selecting a diverse body in lines with the goals of VT.”
One position, the “Inclusion Coordinator,” is entirely focused on “efforts to integrate inclusion, equity, diversity, and quality initiatives.” The position’s qualifications include a “demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion,” while job duties include “URIM (underrepresented in medicine) recruitment, and implementation of DEI workshops/training sessions.”
In fact, Do No Harm identified over ten positions that explicitly required a commitment to diversity and related concepts as a qualification, or involved furthering DEI as a job duty.
What’s more, the medical school operates its MEDS-E, or Medical Exposure for Diverse Students Experience, program targeting students who are members of groups “underrepresented in medicine,” and providing them with educational opportunities.
It’s a worrying sign when medical institutions view their racial composition as an urgent priority with public health subordinate to an ideological agenda.
What really matters is quality healthcare delivered by qualified physicians, pure and simple. Virginia Tech would do well to remember that.
S3E7: Balancing Politics and Policy: DEI Challenges in North Carolina
Uncategorized North Carolina DEI PodcastIn Episode 7 of Season 3 of the Do No Harm Podcast, hosts Ian Kingsbury and Scott Centorino engage with North Carolina Representative Ray Pickett in a compelling discussion on the intertwining of politics, higher education, and healthcare. As North Carolina navigates the aftermath of a severe storm, the focus shifts to the contentious role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies in universities and their broader impact on healthcare. Representative Pickett shares insights on the Board of Governors’ efforts to reform DEI policies and the challenges of maintaining neutrality in educational institutions. The episode underscores the emotional and divisive nature of DEI and gender medicine issues, highlighting the critical role of public engagement in shaping legislative processes.
Listen in via Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, or Amazon Music.
LSU Med School Scrubs Link to ‘Defund the Police’ Site After Do No Harm Exposé
Uncategorized Louisiana DEI Louisiana State University School of Medicine Medical School Commentary Do No Harm StaffLast week, Do No Harm reported on the fact that the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Medicine was maintaining a web page directing students to radical political activist sites, including a site explicitly calling to defund local police departments. Other resources included recommendations for medical schools to institute forms of racial discrimination in the name of “recreating Wakanda” and achieving health equity goals.
Now, it seems like LSU has decided this site perhaps isn’t the best advertisement for its medical education offerings. Following the publication of our story, the page was taken down.
LSU is no longer directing students to these radical sites that have nothing whatsoever to do with the medical school’s pedagogical mission. And that is a welcome change.
But LSU may have more to worry about.
Louisiana State Sen. Valarie Hodges said the page violated a recently-enacted law, Act 584, that prohibits professors from imposing “political views on students.” Hodges, who authored the law, characterized the medical school’s behavior as “unacceptable.”
“This type of politically motivated, radical calls to activism from a state-funded higher education institution cannot be allowed as per state law,” Hodges said in a statement. “Louisiana’s Legislature and Governor have been clear about where our state stands in relation to radical leftist activism in our schools that is meant to divide our citizens and destroy our state and our nation. This blatant disrespect and disregard to Louisiana law and beliefs held by students who attend LSU Medical School is unacceptable and egregious.”
Other Louisiana state lawmakers who caught wind of the web page were similarly shocked at the content promoted by the publicly-funded institution.
Do No Harm asked LSU what prompted its decision to remove the web page and whether it was aware of concerns it violated state law; the university has yet to respond.
Still, LSU’s decision to remove the page is an encouraging sign. It demonstrates the importance of shining a light on the political activities of medical schools that detract or often outright contradict their role as educational institutions.
Do No Harm will continue to expose medical schools that prioritize radical political activism rather than focusing exclusively on their mission to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals.
American Society of Hematology Recommends Embedding DEI Into Clinical Trials
Uncategorized United States DEI Medical association Commentary Do No Harm StaffThe American Society of Hematology (ASH) has decided the next frontier for DEI is clinical research.
In 2023, ASH launched the ASH DEI Toolkit for Clinical Trial Sponsors. The goal of the guide is “to help trial sponsors incorporate DEI principles throughout the trial life cycle.”
While some of the recommendations are fairly anodyne and have a plausible basis in an attempt to improve trial design, others are nakedly ideological. The guide recommends trial sponsors employ a “diverse workforce,” and that committees reviewing the trial do so not just for safety and scientific ethics but for “justice principles” as well. These recommendations mirror guidance from the National Institutes of Health, which also has pushed for DEI and racially discriminatory policies in grant applications.
The guide also recommends relaxing inclusion and exclusion criteria to allow for a more “diverse” pool of trial participants, despite the detrimental effects this could have on research.
“For example, in eligibility criteria, avoid unnecessarily strict organ function, or eligibility tests. For exclusion criteria, avoid nonspecific and potentially biased terms such as ‘unacceptable’ or ‘uncontrolled’ where more specific definitions can be used.”
ASH has been quite explicit in its endorsement of the DEI agenda, and has previously taken other steps to embed these discriminatory principles into the medical profession.
For instance, ASH offered a medical student award to “Indigenous American Indians or Alaska Natives, Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, African Canadians, Inuit, and First Nation Peoples.” Notably absent, of course, are whites and Asians.
The priority of those designing a clinical trial should obviously be the safety of the participants and then the integrity of the trial design itself. “Justice principles” really shouldn’t factor into it all, and ASH’s attempts to use clinical trials as a vehicle for DEI is misguided at best, and dangerous at worst.
Some of ASH’s recommendations, such as prioritizing a diverse workforce, could end up resulting in less capable researchers manning the helm.
At the end of the day, safety and integrity, not DEI, should be the key focus of clinical research.
Philadelphia Jewish Community Sends Health System a Clear Message: Ditch DEI
Uncategorized Pennsylvania DEI Health system Commentary Ian Kingsbury, PhDJewish Pennsylvanians are rightfully concerned that their popular swing state governor was snubbed as a vice presidential candidate because of his Jewish identity. Liberals will need to prove that they are serious about confronting antisemitism if they want to win back Jewish voters.
If a petition circulating in the Philadelphia suburbs is any indication, that means abandoning the DEI agenda.
The Change.org petition, which has accrued more than 4,000 signatures, calls for Main Line Health (a large health system that serves the Philadelphia metro area) to “totally dismantle” its “Diversity, Respect, Equity and Inclusion” (Main Line’s branding of DEI) programming.
“Time and again,” the petition notes, “the Jewish community has observed that the tenet of ‘inclusion’ within the DRE&I apparatus does not extend to Jews. Rather, DRE&I portrays the world in a reductive paradigm that imagines ‘white’ oppressors pinned against a ‘nonwhite’ oppressed, with Jews assigned to the first group. This type of thinking doesn’t help anybody, including the patients it purports to help.”
The petition, drafted by local Jewish activists (including several physicians at Main Line Health), came in response to the headline story in Main Line Health’s July Diversity, Respect, Equity, and Inclusion (DREI) newsletter. The story, “Biography of a hospital during occupation and war,” purports to chronicle the plight of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza. Instead, it offers an account so deluded that it could reasonably pass for either Hamas propaganda or anti-Hamas satire.
The story begins with the line that “Al-Shifa Hospital translates as ‘house of healing.’” It predictably unfolds to characterize the destruction at the hospital as an unprovoked assault on Gaza’s health infrastructure.
“The article is rife with misinformation and omissions,” notes the petition, “creating a dangerously false narrative that distorts the truth and misleads readers. Omitted is any mention of the atrocities that precipitated the current conflict, the holding of multiple hostages at Al-Shifa hospital and the use of the hospital as a Hamas command hub.”
Ultimately, “these omissions and distortions propagate a hateful narrative against the world’s only Jewish state. This unmasked contempt sets the tone for discourse and conduct across MLH.”
The apology that followed the incident, which referred to it as an “ouch moment,” only stirred more anger. The petition calls it “an appalling understatement of what transpired. The apology letter outrageously referred to Hamas, which repeatedly calls for the genocide of Jews, as a ‘combatant organization.’”
For the uninitiated, it might seem odd that DEI officials would wade into the Israeli-Hamas war or that they would so shamelessly and uncritically crib Hamas talking points. For many others, however, it doesn’t qualify as a surprise.
DEI tends to adopt simplistic and neo-Marxist paradigms that imagine the world as a conflict between groups of oppressors and oppressed. It views global affairs through a lens that inextricably links race and power, hence the contempt for the “white” Jews of Israel (most of whom are in fact descendants of refugees from Arab countries) and the apologism for or infantilization of the “resistance” of Palestinian terrorists.
Consternation over DEI within the Jewish community isn’t new. When I traveled to Israel earlier this year as part of a solidarity trip organized out of UCLA, President Isaac Herzog and his wife were explicit to our delegation about the threat that wokeism and DEI in particular poses to the welfare of American and Israeli Jews alike. Yet, the Main Line Health petition marks a notable development. Most American Jews are (or at least were) politically liberal and reside in progressive metropolitan areas. The incentives to self-censor about DEI are abundant, and yet, the stakes are apparently making silence untenable.
Though it’s unclear precisely how many of the petition signatories are Jews in metro Philadelphia, Dr. Lev – an Israeli-American physician based in the Philadelphia area who published the petition – insists that number is at least 1,000.
“The Jewish community is furious and many now believe DEI to be dangerous,” he tells me. “Opposing DEI can create some awkwardness among neighbors and friends who truly believe that it stands for the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. But given what is happening in our communities – Swastikas appearing etched onto the side of public buildings, pro-Hamas demonstrators marching through college campuses, Jews being harassed in Philadelphia public schools – we’re now forced to have these uncomfortable conversations.”
Philadelphia’s suburbs are being courted by both candidates in the upcoming presidential election. The petition sends a clear message: Embrace DEI at your own peril.
Do No Harm Launches Continuing Medical Education Course Highlighting Risks of Excluding Race from Kidney Disease Diagnosis
Uncategorized United States DEI Press Release Do No Harm StaffRICHMOND, VA; October 23, 2024 – Do No Harm is launching a free course that examines the consequences of excluding race from kidney disease assessments. The course is titled, Excluding race from chronic kidney disease diagnosis and treatment: Science or politics?
Beginning in 2021, many health systems advocated for removing race as a consideration in kidney function assessment equations, often claiming that race-corrected kidney estimates are manifestations of “structural racism.”
This course aims to provide medical professionals with accurate information on the merits of both the race-corrected approach and the race-free approach.
“This course will help physicians optimize their care for patients with kidney disease,” said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, Chairman of Do No Harm. “By learning the intricacies of both the race-free and race-corrected estimates of kidney function, medical professionals can better predict kidney failure and prescribe therapy to their patients. Race is not simply a social construct; it is a biological reality that can have impacts on health. Decades of research indicate that including race in kidney assessment equations improves accuracy. Excluding race altogether from kidney disease diagnosis is an attempt to prioritize politics over care. Our course aims to provide doctors with the tools to always put care first.”
Click here to view the course.
The course will launch on October 23, coinciding with Do No Harm’s presence as an exhibitor at the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week 2024 in San Diego.
The course will help physicians best care for their patients with kidney disease. By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
Do No Harm, established in April 2022, has rapidly gained recognition and made significant strides in its mission to safeguard healthcare from ideological threats. With 13,000 members, including doctors, nurses, physicians, and concerned citizens across all 50 states and 14 countries, DNH has achieved over 10,000 media hits in top-tier publications and garnered widespread attention through numerous broadcast news appearances.
S3E6: Medicine Unmasked: Navigating the Politics of Healthcare
Uncategorized DEI Podcast Do No Harm Staff, Stanley Goldfarb, MDIn this compelling episode of Medicine Unmasked, hosts Ian Kingsbury and Scott Centorino delve into the intricate world of healthcare where politics and medicine collide. Featuring special guest Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a distinguished figure in academic medicine and Do No Harm Chairman and Founder, the discussion unravels the growing influence of political activism on medical education and patient care. Together, they examine the contentious rise of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, questioning their impact on the core values and efficacy of medical practice. Tune in for a thought-provoking exploration of how social agendas might reshape the future of healthcare and what it means for both practitioners and patients alike.
Emails Reveal Political Rationale Behind UConn’s Woke Revision of Hippocratic Oath
Uncategorized Connecticut DEI University of Connecticut School of Medicine Medical School Commentary Do No Harm StaffIn 2022, the University of Connecticut (UConn) School of Medicine debuted a “DEI-ified” version of the Hippocratic Oath for its new medical students. The school had transformed the oath – the cornerstone of Western medical ethics that includes the principle of “do no harm” – into a pledge of allegiance to social justice and DEI.
UConn’s oath, which was used in the school’s White Coat Ceremony for the class of 2028, now includes the following commitments: “I will work actively to identify and mitigate my own biases so as to treat all patients and coworkers with humility and dignity”; “I will strive to promote health equity”; “I will actively support policies that promote social justice and specifically work to dismantle policies that perpetuate inequities, exclusion, discrimination and racism.”
As Do No Harm previously pointed out, many of these commitments, such as “health equity,” contradict the Hippocratic Oath’s principles by implicitly endorsing racially discriminatory policies that, in practice, preference certain racial groups over others and thus harm unfavored patients. The oath dedicates comparatively less time to any actual tenets of medical education or the development of medical expertise.
It’s obvious that UConn’s decision to alter its Hippocratic Oath was in service of its DEI agenda. But internal communications obtained by Do No Harm between UConn medical school faculty reveal not only their rationale for making this change, but also the depth of their commitments to ideology over medical education.
UConn’s faculty first began considering altering the Hippocratic Oath in November 2020 after Dr. Clara Weinstock proposed the idea to the Department of Internal Medicine’s Diversity Committee, according to the internal communications. The Diversity Committee endorsed the proposal, and in 2021, both the dean of the UConn School of Medicine and the associate dean for medical student affairs approved the drafting of a proposal.
According to the communications, Dr. Weinstock then created a working group to draft the proposal, which included student and faculty representatives from the following UConn “diversity” and “ethics-related” interest groups: the “Student National Medical Association, Latin@ Medical Student Association, South Asian Medical/Dental Association, Disabilities Interest Group, Reach Out [LGBTQAI+], Gold Humanism Society as well as the Director of Immigrant Health and members of the Internal Medicine Diversity Committee.”
The 2021 proposal to change the oath makes explicit the view that physicians should be political activists working to advance “social justice” and “antiracism.”
“Another way in which UConn SOM can reaffirm its commitment to social justice and antiracism is through a public affirmation, one that every future MD participates in first at the White Coat Ceremony, and then again, during Commencement, when students officially are welcomed into the profession,” the proposal reads. “Faculty, alumni, and other physicians join in reaffirming their pledge to the profession.”
Administrators for undergraduate medical education approved the proposal with some small revisions in November 2021.
The proposal goes on to reference a previous oath that UConn used, and says that “some of the language and content could be updated to reflect the active responsibility physicians have to change systems that perpetuate discrimination, racism, and inequities in health.”
Moreover, as justification for this pledge, the proposal cites “the violent murders of Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, the 6 women of Asian descent killed in Atlanta Georgia: Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyou Feng, and countless others,” which the proposal says “have put yet another spotlight on the pervasiveness of racism and injustice in the U.S.” and “continues to adversely affect the health and well-being of many members of our community; Black and Brown men, women, and children.”
It’s important not to lose sight of what’s going on here: UConn is using the foundational oath of medical responsibility as a vehicle for a pledge of allegiance to radical political ideology. The justification for this change expressly states that revising the oath is to further these ideological goals.
This is absolutely not the appropriate role of a medical school, and forcing new medical students to swear an oath to advance this agenda is downright perverse.
Physicians are not activists. And indoctrinating new medical students into the belief that activism and the practice of medicine are one and the same will only harm patients.
Just look at the fruits of these beliefs: racially discriminatory policies that prioritize certain races for organ transplants in the name of “health equity.” Or fallacious notions that jeopardize patient care to reduce disparities between races.
The list goes on.
S3E5: Navigating the Storm: Parental Rights and Gender Ideology in Schools
Uncategorized Gender Ideology PodcastIn this gripping episode of the Do No Harm Podcast, hosts Ian Kingsbury and Scott Centorino engage in a timely discussion with January Littlejohn, a mother and mental health counselor, who shares her harrowing personal journey. Discover how DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) ideology is infiltrating schools and impacting parental rights as January recounts the story of her 13-year-old daughter’s social transition at school without parental consent. The conversation delves into the concept of social contagion among adolescents, the role of schools and healthcare providers in this dynamic, and the legislative efforts to safeguard parental rights. Tune in to explore how advocacy and informed action can protect children and restore sanity to education and healthcare.
Listen in via Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, or Amazon Music.
Do No Harm Sues University of Washington School of Medicine
Uncategorized Washington DEI University of Washington School of Medicine Medical School Commentary Do No Harm StaffRICHMOND, VA; October 16, 2024 – Do No Harm filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) for restricting access to a physician networking directory based on race.
UWSOM supports students interested in specialties and residency programs through its BIPOC Physicians Directory, a database of physicians that students can use for questions about their career. However, the school limits access to this helpful resource to “black, indigenous and people of color” or “BIPOC” students and physicians, excluding white students and physicians.
“Putting racial roadblocks on medical students making the critical career choice of a residency program and blocking white doctors from mentoring medical students is unethical and illegal,” said Do No Harm Chairman Dr. Stanley Goldfarb. “UWSOM should be ensuring that its students are well-trained and best able to serve patients.”
Do No Harm is asking the court for a permanent injunction to bar UWSOM from operating a directory that excludes students or physicians based on race, and to declare UWSOM in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.
Click here to read the lawsuit.
Do No Harm, established in April 2022, has rapidly gained recognition and made significant strides in its mission to safeguard healthcare from ideological threats. With more than 12,000 members, including doctors, nurses, physicians, and concerned citizens across all 50 states and in 14 countries, DNH has achieved more than 10,000 media hits in top-tier publications and garnered widespread attention through numerous broadcast news appearances.
Do No Harm Asks Supreme Court to Uphold Tennessee’s Ban on Biology-Denying Medical Interventions
Uncategorized Tennessee, United States Gender Ideology Federal government Commentary Judicial Do No Harm StaffOn Tuesday, October 15, 2024, Do No Harm submitted an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief in United States v. Skrmetti asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Tennessee’s Senate Bill 1, which prohibits biology-denying transgender medical interventions on minors. These include puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures intended to make a child appear like the opposite sex.
The Department of Justice under President Joe Biden first sued Tennessee over the law in 2023, arguing it denied minors “medically necessary” care, and that the law violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. Specifically, the DOJ argued that the law “permits all other minors to access the same procedures and treatments” for conditions unrelated to gender dysphoria, but prevents “transgender” children from accessing the medical interventions to alter their appearance in accordance with their gender self-identification.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld Tennessee’s law, and the federal government appealed to the Supreme Court, which took up the case earlier this year.
Do No Harm’s amicus brief sets the record straight on the science underlying so-called “gender-affirming care,” and explains why the arguments against the ban are out of step with the weight of the evidence.
Do No Harm explains that:
In addition, a brief submitted by 56 physicians explains how Senate Bill 1’s prohibition on dangerous and unsupported medical procedures “accords with every conceivable notion of medical ethics.” Do No Harm funded the preparation and submission of that brief.
The brief also lays out how puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones pose health risks to child patients.
Read the full text of Do No Harm’s amicus brief here.
Read the full text of the amicus brief submitted by 56 physicians here.
‘Recreating Wakanda’: LSU’s Med School Directs Students to ‘Defund the Police’ Site, Calls for Racial Discrimination
Uncategorized Louisiana DEI Louisiana State University School of Medicine Medical School Commentary Do No Harm StaffWhen a prospective or current Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Medicine student visits their school’s website, they’re likely looking for information related to their studies. Resources that can help them become better healthcare professionals.
But instead, when students visit the School of Medicine Department of Physiology’s web page, they are immediately greeted with a massive banner including statements such as “BLACK LIVES matter,” “FEMINISM is for everyone,” and “IMMIGRANTS are welcome.”
And underneath that banner is a link to the department’s “Fight Against Racism” page, which contains links to a bevy of radical political resources. Many of the links appear to be dated from the summer of 2020 during the Black Lives Matter protests and riots.
For instance, one site, “Defund12.org,” provides visitors with the contact information of municipalities across the country and sample email text calling on them to defund their police departments.
“Email and mail government officials and council members to reallocate egregious police budgets towards education, social services, and dismantling racial injustice,” the site reads.
Another link directs to a podcast from The Intercept titled, “The Rebellion in Defense of Black Lives is Rooted in US History. So Too is Trump’s Authoritarian Rule.” The podcast is a critical take on the government’s attempts to crack down on the violent riots that swept the country following the killing of George Floyd.
“Police forces across the U.S. are functioning as violent militias equipped with military gear,” the description reads. “Operating like a violent counterinsurgency force, the government has used drones and is using other military and intelligence-grade surveillance systems on protesters.”
Why, one might ask, is a medical school of all places promoting this content? What does a debate about authoritarianism and use of force have to do with medical education? Why is the university’s priority to promote radical political activism instead of, you know, resources about medicine?
There are no good answers to these questions. LSU is, unfortunately, another example of an institution captured by identity politics that has abrogated its duty to honestly teach medicine in favor of DEI activism.
What’s more, the web page links to authors such as Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo, whose work each centers around implementing racially discriminatory policies and engendering racial paranoia among white and Asian individuals in the name of “anti-racism.”
Then there’s a link to an article published in Nature titled, “Recreating Wakanda by promoting Black excellence in ecology and evolution.”
The article is about what you’d expect; it invokes a comic book character to argue for racial discrimination in order to “elevate” black scholars.
Here are a few choice excerpts:
“In the Marvel comic series Black Panther, a universe is imagined in which the intellectual, cultural, social and scientific contributions of Black scholars are celebrated. In this fictional nation of Wakanda, the contributions of Black scholars are elevated, emphasizing that global scientific and technological advancements are realized in a world welcoming of Black excellence. To fully realize the beauty and power of Wakanda in our own universe, we must employ anti-racist policies and actions.”
“Most importantly, institutional policies must be married with individual interrogation of biases and privileges, placing accountability at the core of authentically practicing anti-racism pedagogy and doctrine.”
Since Do No Harm began, we’ve cataloged our fair share of medical schools endorsing woke identity politics.
But these examples are especially egregious. There is not even the pretense that they relate to medical education. Rather, LSU is content with its medical school becoming a vehicle for political activism.
If LSU wants to show its sincerity to medical education, it should remove this page and clarify its mission to impact medical knowledge to future practitioners.
S3E4: Stop the Harm Database: Exposing the Child Trans Industry in America
Uncategorized Gender Ideology Podcast Do No Harm StaffIn this eye-opening episode of the Do No Harm Podcast, hosts Ian Kingsbury and Scott Centorino welcome Michelle Havrilla, Director of Programs at Do No Harm and a dedicated oncology and palliative care nurse practitioner. Michelle introduces the groundbreaking Stop the Harm Database, a first-of-its kind project that brings to light the politicization of healthcare and the increasing prevalence of sex-based interventions on children. The discussion delves into the alarming statistics and financial incentives driving these practices, challenging the narrative that such procedures are rare or benign. Listen as Michelle shares her journey to Do No Harm and her efforts to prioritize patient care over ideological agendas.
To learn more about the database, visit www.StopTheHarmDatabase.com.
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A Tennessee Medical Student’s View on How Their School Is Handling Anti-DEI Laws
Uncategorized Tennessee DEI Medical School Commentary Do No Harm StaffIn 2022, Tennessee enacted a law preventing public universities, including medical schools, from teaching “divisive concepts” such as racial stereotyping, the notion that some racial groups are inherently racist, and so on. The law was intended in part to crack down on universities teaching tenets of the DEI agenda that encourage racial discrimination in the name of “equity.”
The next year, the state enacted a law rolling back or banning a number of DEI initiatives at public universities, and preventing public universities from spending funds on DEI.
However, predictably, there appears to be some resistance to these changes.
One Tennessee medical student got in touch with us and shared details of the school’s newly-implemented 2023 course that contained ample references to concepts that fit snugly into the DEI panoply, such as implicit bias and “environmental racism.”
We spoke with them again last month on how their medical school is grappling with the anti-DEI laws. Here’s what they had to say:
While it’s encouraging that the school is rolling back its DEI curriculum, that’s not all.
The student’s account sheds light on the reality of attempts to crack down on DEI in universities. Often, the ideology is so institutionally ingrained that schools will look for ways to circumvent good-faith laws cracking down on these discriminatory concepts.
To combat this, more stringent enforcement is required.
Do No Harm Launches First National Database Exposing the Child Trans Industry
Uncategorized United States Gender Ideology Health system, Hospital System Press Release Do No Harm StaffRICHMOND, VA; October 8, 2024 – Today, Do No Harm launched a first-of-its-kind national database of hospitals and medical facilities administering irreversible sex change interventions on children in the United States.
The Stop the Harm Database can be found at StopTheHarmDatabase.com and catalogs pediatric sex change-related services, including surgeries, cross-sex hormones, and puberty blockers, at U.S.-based medical facilities between 2019 and 2023. The data is searchable by state and facility.
Now, parents, policymakers, and concerned citizens alike can search for their local children’s hospital and find out whether they are performing harmful medical procedures on minors.
“With the launch of the Stop the Harm Database, Do No Harm is building on our mission to expose the dangers of experimental pediatric gender medicine and bring the practice to an end,” said Do No Harm Chairman Dr. Stanley Goldfarb. “This first-of-its-kind project provides patients, families, and policymakers with a resource that reveals the pervasiveness of irreversible sex-change treatments for minors in America. While this data represents the tip of the iceberg, this is the first step in holding the medical establishment accountable for participating in, and often times promoting, predatory and unscientific medical interventions for vulnerable children.”
“This new project from Do No Harm proves the lies from the medical establishment and radical politicians who argue that cases like mine are rare,” said Do No Harm Senior Fellow and Patient Advocate Chloe Cole. “The stats in this database represent thousands of kids who are being treated like Guinea pigs for unproven, and sometimes dangerous, medical experiments. I hope politicians and parents alike use this database to see where these treatments are happening and protect their children from being rushed into irreversible, life-altering treatments.”
Key National Findings (2019 to 2023):
These numbers are just scratching the surface of how widespread these practices truly are.
Additionally, the Stop the Harm Database profiles the most prolific institutions and providers engaged in these dangerous and unsupported interventions. These hospitals, the “Dirty Dozen,” represent the 12 worst-offending children’s hospitals promoting sex change treatments for minors:
Click here to find a detailed description of Do No Harm’s methodology for the database.
Do No Harm, established in April 2022, has rapidly gained recognition and made significant strides in its mission to safeguard healthcare from ideological threats. With 13,000 members, including doctors, nurses, physicians, and concerned citizens across all 50 states and 14 countries, DNH has achieved over 10,000 media hits in top-tier publications and garnered widespread attention through numerous broadcast news appearances.
Three More Med Schools Ditch Discriminatory Programs After Do No Harm Civil Rights Complaints
Uncategorized California, Massachusetts, Michigan, United States DEI Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine Medical School Commentary Do No Harm StaffOctober has only just started, and already we’ve notched a few major wins.
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) informed Do No Harm this week that three medical schools have discontinued racially discriminatory practices after Do No Harm complaints alleging they violated federal civil rights law.
These are huge victories, and the latest in a spree of good news: last month, the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine rolled back their racially discriminatory programs following our civil rights complaints. Similarly, the Department of Health and Human Services’ OCR is now investigating the Cleveland Clinic for two of its minority health programs thanks to Do No Harm’s complaints.
“These three successful challenges of illegal discrimination demonstrate and reinforce that Do No Harm definitively has federal civil rights laws on our side,” said Do No Harm Senior Fellow Mark J. Perry. “Title VI and Title IX clearly state that it is unlawful for medical schools to discriminate based on race or sex when they offer or promote scholarships, clerkships, fellowships, or academic programs.”
Here are the schools in question:
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (MSU) medical school promoted the American Society of Hematology Minority Medical Student Award Program on its website. The program offered medical students a stipend to participate in research projects, in which they would receive mentorship and access to other networking opportunities.
There was just one catch: only certain races could apply. The program description contained the following disclaimer:
“At the time of application, the applicant must identify as a minority; applicants are asked to self-identify, and participants for the MMSAP are drawn from this pool. For the purposes of this program, minority is defined as a group of people from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in health-related sciences in the United States and Canada. This includes Indigenous American Indians or Alaska Natives, Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, African Canadians, Inuit, and First Nation Peoples.”
Thankfully, the university has delisted the program after Do No Harm filed a complaint alleging the university’s promotion of the program violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
“The University notified OCR that it had since removed the listing of this program from its website,” OCR said in a letter to Do No Harm earlier this week. “OCR searched the University’s website and confirmed that it no longer included any listing for this program.”
Tufts University Medical Center
Similarly, Tufts University’s Medical Center’s Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine operated an anesthesiology-focused summer visiting clerkship at Tufts for students deemed to be “underrepresented” in medicine.
The eligibility requirements stipulated that students must self-identify as Underrepresented in Medicine (URIM) which the University specifically defined as: “Black/African American, Alaskan/Hawaiian Native, Native American and Hispanic American/Latinx.”
Do No Harm filed a civil rights complaint against Tufts over the program in July 2022, and in February 2024 OCR opened a federal civil rights investigation.
Then, this week, OCR told Do No Harm in a determination letter that Tufts had discontinued the program.
“The University informed OCR that the Clerkship was offered one time in the summer of 2022 and has been discontinued,” the letter read.
Better late than never!
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Do No Harm also filed a civil rights complaint against the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science for its physician assistant program targeted exclusively toward black men, Empowerment, Diversity, Growth, and Excellence in Physician Assistant Education (EDGE-PA).
“This unique initiative recruits Black men who are on the precipice of acceptance into a PA program but just need that extra boost to get in,” a press release on the program read.
In response to our civil rights complaint, the university has since updated the program eligibility to instead target “underserved groups, including individuals from medically underserved groups, those committed to serving underserved populations, and those who have overcome significant barriers in their lives.”
It’s a small step, but ending overt racial preferencing is always a good outcome.
“When Do No Harm exposed and challenged the illegal discrimination at Michigan State, Tufts, and Charles R. Drew with federal civil rights complaints, the Office for Civil Rights once again ruled in our favor and forced the three schools to end their race-based and sex-based discrimination,” Perry said.
Medical schools should be on notice: Do No Harm is watching, and we will make sure you are held accountable for any attempts to unlawfully discriminate in violation of your legal obligation to actively enforce all federal civil rights laws including Title VI and Title IX.
Have you been unfairly affected by discriminatory scholarships or programs at your institution, or are you aware of any discrimination at a U.S. medical school? If you or others did not apply because you thought you were ineligible, please let us know – anonymously and securely.
S3E3: Unmasking Anti-Semitism in Medicine: The DEI Dilemma
Uncategorized DEI Podcast Do No Harm StaffIn this eye-opening episode of the Do No Harm podcast, hosts Ian Kingsbury and Scott Centorino sit down with Dr. Jay Greene, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and senior fellow at Do No Harm, to tackle the pressing issue of anti-Semitism within the realm of medical institutions. The discussion centers on how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives might inadvertently fuel anti-Semitic sentiments, impacting Jewish communities in both academia and healthcare. Through a detailed exploration, they reveal the complexities of DEI frameworks and their unintended consequences, advocating for an approach that truly respects diversity while ensuring equity. Join us as we delve into these critical challenges and strive to foster a more inclusive medical environment.
Listen in via Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, or Amazon Music.
Do No Harm Grills Medical Schools on Treatment of Jewish Student Groups
Uncategorized Israel, United States DEI Medical School Commentary Executive Do No Harm StaffDo No Harm, in coordination with the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), sent letters to medical schools across the country warning them that mistreatment of Jewish student groups is a violation of civil rights law.
The letters come in response to an August decision by the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA), a collective of over 100 medical student associations from all over the globe, which suspended the Israeli medical students’ association (FIMS) for two years.
“Although the IFMSA rationalized its decision as a punishment for behavior by FIMS, reporting reflects this reasoning was a facade, and the decision was instead based on blatantly antisemitic factors,” the letters read, referencing reporting from YNet and other sources.
These factors include “false accusations of ‘genocide’ denial; the fact that members of the Israeli medical students’ organization serve in the Israeli military; the presence of students from a Jewish university; alleged threats against medical students, online harassment, and hate speech; threats against the Palestinian medical students’ organization; and the overall struggle of the Palestinian medical students’ organization.”
Do No Harm and NJAC are ensuring that medical schools do not carry out similar actions against Israeli students and groups, warning them that doing so would violate civil rights law.
“Medical schools must not help IFMSA perpetrate this antisemitic injustice against Israeli students,” said Do No Harm Chairman Dr. Stanley Goldfarb. “Any school doing this will be in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and will be held accountable.”
The letters ask medical schools to confirm that they have not suspended any programs or denied any opportunities to Jewish and Israeli students.
“In particular, we seek confirmation that no programs, research, collaborations, conferences, fellowship opportunities, scholarships, publications or any other function of the [medical school] will be limited, curtailed, suspended or otherwise impacted for Jewish students, Israeli students, or anyone affiliated with Israeli medical institutions,” the letters read.
Read the story in the Daily Caller here.