Black people in counties with Black doctors live longer than those without, according to a new study.

The findings of a new study published in JAMA Network Open have been nothing short of astonishing: Black representation in the medical field is making a significant positive impact on the Black population. Counties with higher prevalence of Black doctors have been linked to a longer life expectancy of Black people in those areas. Primary care physician Monica Peek, a health equity researcher at UChicago Medicine, said: “That a single Black physician in a county can have an impact on an entire population’s mortality, it’s stunningly overwhelming.”

This study, conducted by researchers from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the AAMC, showed that life expectancy in the 1,618 counties with at least one Black primary care physician increased by nearly one month for every 10% increase in Black primary care physicians. Additionally, a 10% increase in Black primary care physicians is linked to a 1.2% lower disparity rate between Black and white individuals in all mortality causes.



This groundbreaking research has served as a wake-up call for healthcare leaders and policymakers. Rachel Upton, a social science analyst and one of the report’s lead authors, said the findings were unexpected, but incredibly valuable. “It shows having Black physicians is not only helpful across the board, but it’s particularly useful with counties with high poverty,” she said. These encouraging results highlight the importance of diversifying the medical field and create hope for a brighter future for the Black population.

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