RICHMOND, Va. -- Governor Youngkin said he was disappointed to read comments from the leader he tapped to oversee Virginia's public health system which appeared to downplay the role of racism in health disparities.
State Health Commissioner for the Virginia Department of Health, Dr. Colin Greene, was referenced in a Washington Post article this weekrejecting racism as a public health crisis and questioning the link between racism and health disparities.
The Democratic-controlled General Assembly declared racism a public health crisis in 2021, and the scientific community has long studied research showing minorities experience disproportionate rates of illness and death across a number of medical conditions.
The Post reported Dr. Greene, who was appointed to his position by Governor Glenn Youngkin, dismissed those disparities and wanted to "create an investigative unit within the department of health to “start fresh” on, for example, reasons for high rates of Black maternal and infant mortality."
The article went on to report that Greene believed the phrase "gun violence" to be a Democratic talking point and the word "racism" as politically charged.
Governor Youngkin said Greene's remarks did not effectively communicate his administration's mission to close substantial gaps in health that minorities in Virginia face.
"I am outraged that right now in Virginia a black mother is three times more likely to die from childbirth and that hasn’t materially improved in a generation," the governor said. "We all must be laser-focused on closing the maternal health gaps. Our administration must have a common, unifying objective to deliver measurable results on behalf of women and especially those in communities of color where this substantial gap exists."
He added, "Virginians must share the common objective to close maternal health gaps and reduce health disparities."
Lawmakers also spoke out against Greene's comments including Democratic State Senator Jennifer McClellan, who represents Greater Richmond.
"As a Black woman who almost died in childbirth, to hear the chief public health officer in the Commonwealth dismiss well established research that shows a correlation between racism and poor health outcomes, it is just outrageous," McClellan said.
She went on to say Greene should look for another job.
"I stand by that. I think anyone who's going to be the chief public health officer in Virginia needs to understand determinants of poor health," McClellan said. "This is just one more example of black women being dismissed by the healthcare system, which has led to death and I'm aware of that experience."
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, who declared racism a public health crisis for the city in summer 2021, also slammed Greene's comments, calling them offensive and severely out of touch. He cited recent research from the CDC showing guns are the leading cause of death for children nationwide.
"Hiding from these realities doesn’t make them go away. Dr. Greene needs to stop being a coward and do something about them. Virginia families are counting on him to do better," Mayor Stoney said.
A spokesperson for the Health Commissioner told CBS 6 that Greene had no comment.
CBS 6 asked leaders with the Richmond-Henrico Health District if Greene's stance would impact work on the local level to address racial disparities in health.
Nurse Manager, Amy Popovich, responded by emphasizing the district's values.
“At Richmond-Henrico Health District, we acknowledge that structural and interpersonal racism contributes to health disparities, and we will continue to work to address that," Popovich said.
According to the Richmond City Health District's website, data from VCU shows:
- Low-income Black communities in the East End have a life expectancy 20 years shorter than wealthier white communities in the West End
- Black residents are at greater risk for pregnancy complications and premature birth, chronic disease, housing and food insecurity, asthma, violence, and personal and community trauma
- Black Richmonders made up a disproportionate rate of COVID-19 cases at 62%, even though they make up 47% of the city's population.
Senator McClellan said the Legislative Black Caucus has called for a meeting with Governor Youngkin to discuss Greene's comments.
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