House Resolution 28

PAG LIN

  1  1                HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. ___
  1  2                        BY  FORD
  1  3 A Resolution supporting the development of a standard
  1  4    medical school curriculum that ensures physicians
  1  5    receive training relating to racial and cultural bias.
  1  6    WHEREAS, African=Americans frequently report
  1  7 experiencing a different level of medical treatment
  1  8 and care, regardless of their financial ability to
  1  9 provide payment, in connection with recommended
  1 10 treatment therapies; and
  1 11    WHEREAS, this different level of medical treatment
  1 12 and care may contribute to the fact that the health
  1 13 status of African=Americans is significantly worse
  1 14 than that of other population groups; and
  1 15    WHEREAS, an Institute of Medicine report in March
  1 16 2002 concluded that population groups identified as
  1 17 racial and ethnic minorities received lower quality
  1 18 health care than did groups identified as Caucasian,
  1 19 including a reduced likelihood of undergoing bypass
  1 20 surgery and receiving kidney dialysis or organ
  1 21 transplants; and
  1 22    WHEREAS, the American Medical Association has
  1 23 adopted a policy of zero tolerance toward racially or
  1 24 culturally based disparities in health care, has
  1 25 recommended the development of assessment tools to
  1 26 enable individual physicians and groups of physicians
  1 27 to identify and act on racial and ethnic disparities
  1 28 in health care, and has recommended that its
  1 29 membership regularly monitor and report on progress
  1 30 being made to address racial and ethnic disparities in
  2  1 health care; and
  2  2    WHEREAS, the percentage of the population that is
  2  3 comprised of groups identified as racial and ethnic
  2  4 minorities is growing at a much faster rate than the
  2  5 percentage of such minorities represented in the
  2  6 physician workforce; and
  2  7    WHEREAS, bias in health care treatment needs to be
  2  8 identified, expressly addressed, and eliminated; NOW
  2  9 THEREFORE,
  2 10    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
  2 11 That the Iowa House of Representatives calls upon the
  2 12 State Board of Regents, the administration and
  2 13 governing board of the University of Iowa, the
  2 14 University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the faculty
  2 15 and staff of the University of Iowa College of
  2 16 Medicine, the administration and governing board of
  2 17 Des Moines University == Osteopathic Medical Center,
  2 18 and the faculty and staff of the College of
  2 19 Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery of Des Moines
  2 20 University, to develop a standard medical school
  2 21 curriculum that ensures physicians receive explicit
  2 22 training in the problems of racial bias and methods,
  2 23 practices, and procedures to ensure that treatment and
  2 24 therapies are recommended equitably regardless of
  2 25 racial or cultural identity; and
  2 26    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this
  2 27 Resolution be sent to each of the aforementioned
  2 28 administrative staffs, boards, and faculties, to the
  2 29 Iowa Department of Public Health, and to the members
  2 30 of Iowa's congressional delegation.
  3  1 LSB 2501HH 80
  3  2 rn/cl/14