Jyothi Marbin: Diagnose the Problem

Jyothi Marbin shares why it’s important to call out racial injustice instead of avoiding the subject.

As a pediatrician, I’m trained to diagnose and treat my patients. When a child comes in with a cough, I don’t just prescribe medicine – I ask questions; I listen to their stories. Without knowing the root cause – without a diagnosis – I can’t offer the right treatment. We’re left waiting and hoping it doesn’t get worse.

There is power in an accurate diagnosis.

In recent years, many of us in health care began to diagnose something we had long known but rarely said out loud – that racism and structural injustice are powerful forces shaping who gets sick and who gets better.

After George Floyd’s murder and COVID’s stark inequities, hospitals and health systems began to speak more openly. Words like “racism,” “equity,” and “justice” began appearing in mission statements and working groups. It felt – finally – like we were accurately naming the diagnosis.

But lately, I’ve seen that progress stall. Political pressures are causing many institutions to retreat. The language of equity is disappearing – from public statements, conference rooms and exam rooms.

We can’t treat what we won’t diagnose.

Racism harms health. I see it in my patients with asthma worsened by unjust environmental policies, and I see it in families too afraid to come in for appointments, fearing ICE.

Ignoring this reality is not neutral – it is harmful. Failing to name structural racism doesn’t make it go away; it just undermines our ability to address it.

I understand the risks facing our institutions. I also know that patients deserve care that acknowledges the structural forces shaping their health. Our communities deserve institutions that confront injustice, not tiptoe around it.

So, if we truly seek to heal, let’s make an accurate diagnosis. Racism. Injustice. Health inequity. These are real and they are treatable – but only if we have the courage to name them.

With a Perspective, I’m Jyothi Marbin.

Jyothi Marbin is a pediatrician who works at the intersection of health, education and justice.