From President & CEO Steve Walsh

“The cruel endurance of injustice in our country has come at an unacceptable cost. It has cost us the innocent lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor,  Ahmaud Arbery, and the many that came before them. And it continues to threaten the wellbeing of every Black and Brown person who calls America home. 

Systemic racism is a sickness just as potent as the diseases we treat every day, and Massachusetts is not immune. MHA stands with those across the commonwealth who are raising their voices to deliver a critical message: Black Lives Matter. They are the voices of our patients, our caregivers, and our neighbors. 

We recognize that we must be a part of the solution. We are committed to using the very tenets our healthcare system is built upon – compassion, collaboration, and healing – to advocate for chronically underserved communities and act as conduits for change. Our members share a sacred responsibility to value every life, and we know that responsibility must extend beyond the walls of our hospitals and medical offices. 

As providers, we have an intimate knowledge of the systemic inequities that plague public health in our country. We must continue to evaluate how our own actions and practices reach people of color, both in our facilities and our neighborhoods. We must further our work to call out prejudice when we see it and champion equitable access to the care we provide.

To every person in Massachusetts who bears the weight of hate and bigotry in ways many of us will never understand: we are here to listen and we are here to act. Our healthcare community is committed to being active partners and to creating a future where intolerance is powerless and every voice is powerful.”