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As of Jan. 1, 2023, individuals in 38 health care professions in
Illinois are now required to take racial bias training. The
Illinois Administrative Code states that implicit bias occurs
automatically and unintentionally, but affects behaviors,
judgements and decisions.
Laura Morgan, program manager with the organization Do No Harm
and a 39-year veteran of the health-care field, said she was
fired in 2022 for refusing to submit to training that required
her to say she was racist. She said the assumption of implicit
bias is that physicians make decisions about patients based on
gender or skin color, leading to poor health outcomes.
“Things that are related to diversity, equity, and inclusion are
based on more divisive ideology than things that really have
anything to do with being a good doctor,” Morgan said.
She notes that Providence Health and Services system, which
operates facilities in several states, has committed $50 million
for DEI training “to address health equity.”
“It operates on false ideology and contributes to the already
burned out and stressed health-care workers that we have out
there,” Morgan said.
The promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion on college
campuses has become a big focus in academia, but a Heritage
Foundation study found many of the programs are bloated, and
some at significant taxpayer cost. At the University of Illinois
alone, there are 71 DEI personnel, which is 4 out of every 100
faculty members.
A 2017 study found that diversity initiatives might actually
worsen DEI climates of the organizations that pay heavily for
them, and warned that mandatory training may result in a
negative backlash or exacerbate pre-existing biases.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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