National Black Women Physicians’ Day celebrates local leaders

By Shawn Nowlin

Compared to the estimated 1.7 million Black people living in Virginia, physicians in the state that identify as African-American are less than eight percent, or roughly 1,825. The ratio of female Black physicians to Black patients is a staggering one to 1,750.

Last Saturday marked the Fourth Annual National Black Women Physicians’ Day. Created to embrace the legacy and recognize the strides made by generations of Black female doctors in medicine, this year’s celebration coincided with the birthday of America’s first Black woman doctor of medicine.

When Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler accomplished the feat in 1864, very few African Americans were allowed to attend medical college, let alone publish a book.

Crumpler fearlessly did both. Her 1883 published novel, “A Book of Medical Discourses,” is broken into two parts – the life and growth of human beings as well as the prevention and cure of infantile bowel complaints.

Throughout the Roanoke Valley are Black women physicians who work tirelessly to help as many people as possible.

Dr. Vandanna Karri is a board-certified hematologist and oncologist with a proven track record of providing exceptional care for cancers and blood disorders to her patients. As a Certified Nurse Practitioner, Lillian Arogo offers colorectal screenings. For more than 20 years, Kimberly Martin has served gastroenterology patients in Salem. Many more unsung heroes throughout the city exist.

For Dr. Seyi White, becoming a Nurse Practitioner at the Carilion Clinic Breast Survivorship required following a disciplined multi-year plan.

“When you are younger, oftentimes there is pushback when you notice a change in your body,” she previously said. “It is so important to speak up if you feel like something is different. So many times, we ignore the signs that our body is telling us. I strongly encourage people to reframe from doing that.”

Whenever Monica Williams is under the care of a Black physician, she says she just feels more comfortable. “I’ve never had a bad experience when the person looks like me,” she said. “I remember doing a book report on Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler when I was in high school. Her story was so powerful that I never forgot it.”

A major shortage of Black physicians is not unique to Virginia. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Financial constraints, insufficient exposure to medicine as a career, little encouragement at home and in schools and negative peer pressure all contribute to racial disparities in the physician workforce for African Americans.”