Many children dream of growing up and becoming a doctor. The healthcare industry is better when there is diversity within its ranks. So why is there a shortage of minorities represented in the healthcare field? For Michael L. Weaver, MD, FACEP, CDM, and his wife, Jamila Weaver, RN, BSN, MPA, leaders at Mission Vision Project, their singular goal is to uncover the reason for this gap and increase the number of underrepresented minorities who choose a healthcare career. This effort can potentially create a flywheel of benefits for healthcare in Kansas City.
For the Weavers, the blessing and good fortune aren’t missed. Michael grew up in Kansas City and was selected to the inaugural class of the six-year program at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC). He later served as the Director of Emergency Services at Saint Luke’s Health System for 17 years. There, he started seeing a trend of underrepresented minority students repeatedly coming to him for mentorship, example, and guidance. “I was doing these ‘one off’ mentorship opportunities, and I thought, what if I started getting these students together at one time, it could give them all a greater sense of community,” Michael said. These group sessions started getting students of color together, building social capital and a shared pipeline of the best paths to becoming medical professionals.
These events, named the Critical Mass Gatherings, based on the physics principle that it takes a critical mass to sustain some movements, continued to grow until it is what it is today, about 120 pre-med and medical students and 40 practicing physicians in attendance. “What happens in that space is truly energizing. This critical mass sustains everyone’s growth and builds deep recognition and appreciation. There’s much gratitude in that space, and you see everyone at their best together, knowing they don’t have to do things individually,” Jamila said.
Although there are barriers and challenges to entering into the healthcare industry for minorities, it sometimes can be difficult to identify precisely what they are. “We just get in front of the students and ask. This gives us the best chance to address and mitigate the blockers. That helps to level the playing field, builds confidence, and gives extra support where they maybe didn’t have it before,” Jamila said.
Another aspect that creates a challenge is funding. Minority students have traditionally been more likely to get full-ride scholarships on the East or West Coast, and then they typically don’t come back to the Midwest. “One of the most important things we can do is develop better scholarship support right here so that our best and brightest talents stay right here in Kansas City. This keeps the talent here and provides more examples for the next generation to see in the field. This value cannot be understated,” Michael said.
One of the Mission Vision Project taglines is “If you can see it, you can be it.” For 17 years, Michael has strived to show medical students that they are not alone and that there are others ahead of them on the path. “We want to make sure that minority students see successful minority physicians making a difference in their community,” Michael said.
The downstream effect of a more diverse workforce in healthcare is that patients within each race or ethnicity may be more open and willing to work with those doctors. “African Americans, Hispanics, and Native people have worse outcomes in almost any metric,” Jamila said.
The region needs more doctors. Children from all backgrounds should have the opportunity to achieve their dreams. The next generation of healthcare workers in Kansas City will be more diverse and robust thanks to this community, mentorship, and sponsorship program.