In her new book, Under the Skin:The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation, award-winning writer Linda Villarosa argues that any effort to close the gap in health outcomes must also address the structural racism that underpins the U.S. health care system.

She points to the adverse impact historical myths about Black bodies have had on policymaking and the way care is delivered. She displays the forces in the American health care system and in American society that cause Black people to “live sicker and die quicker” compared to their white counterparts.

In a conversation with Dr. Mary T. Bassett, Villarosa discusses these and other issues her book brings to the fore, highlighting their relationship to the racial disparity still evident in our healthcare system and what can be done to address the resulting inequity and institutional racism.

This episode features:

• Linda Villarosa, Author and Journalist
• Dr. Mary T. Bassett, New York State Commissioner of Health
• The discussion was moderated by Sandra Mullin, Senior Vice President, Policy Advocacy and Communication, Vital Strategies