Philadelphia Directory Changes Name After Lawsuit

A directory based in Philadelphia, designed to connect patients with Black doctors, has been required to change its name and broaden its scope to include practitioners of all races. Following a lawsuit from Do No Harm, the Black Doctors Directory will now be known as the Community Health and Wellness Directory and won’t be limited to just Black doctors.

The announcement was made recently, indicating that Wurd Radio, which hosts the directory, can still consider a physician’s commitment to serving communities—past or present—when adding them to the directory without specifically considering race. The move seems aimed at ensuring the directory is inclusive.

Interestingly, Wurd did not respond to inquiries for further comment.

Do No Harm’s Chairman, Stanley Goldfarb, expressed gratitude for the directory’s new approach, stating, “We are pleased that it is open to doctors of all races. I have long opposed ‘racial unity’ as a concept, seeing it as something that can foster doubt and prejudice. Emphasizing expertise and quality care will lead to better health outcomes for patients.”

The directory’s mission is to help locals find physicians who deliver high-quality, culturally sensitive care. This aligns with the goals of several medical institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

In recent months, various medical schools have come under scrutiny for allegedly putting too much focus on race in their diversity and inclusion efforts, sometimes at the cost of medical education quality. Some accreditors have even dropped DEI requirements amid pressures from the previous administration.