ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Following reports that St. Louis County's health director was subjected to racist taunts and assault this week, a group of St. Louis' largest health care providers released a statement to "denounce hate, racism and xenophobia of any kind" directed toward health care professionals.
The St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) put out a message on Friday saying the region faces a "disproportionate burden of racial disparity" which has been caused greater harm to minority groups amid this pandemic. They say the experience described by acting health director Dr. Faisal Kahn on Tuesday is just the latest incident of doctors, nurses and public health officials being "subjected to explicit hate, unmerited threats and intolerable disrespect."
On Tuesday night, Kahn claimed he was pushed and threatened after a council meeting focused on the new face mask mandate in St. Louis County. In a letter, he said an "angry mob" called him a "fat brown c***" and "brown bastard," while mocking him by speaking like "The Simpsons" character Apu.
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Some have been outspoken that those claims are false.
The statement from IHN explains the massive difference in new COVID-19 cases and vaccination rates between white and Black people in the region. They say "African American residents represented nearly 80% of cases in May and June of 2021; this is double the proportion of January 2021. The overrepresentation continues with data showing African American resident cases at roughly 76% through July 25."
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The statement also cites County Executive Dr. Sam Page's quote to KSDK, in which he says "Black children 12-15 are not getting vaccinated at the same rate as white children. Forty-seven percent of white children have already started the vaccination process and only 16% of Black children have begun."
Read the full statement from IHN, here:
IHN's membership includes the four FQHCS: Affinia, Betty Jean Kerr People’s, Family Care, Care STL Health, Mercy Health System, BJC Health System, SSM Health System, St. Louis County Health Department, City of St. Louis Department of Public Health, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Missouri Primary Care Association, and the St. Louis Regional Health Commission.
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