I’m actually pretty excited about Dr. Chima coming to our city, especially his views on preventative care. This podcast gives us a hint of his thought process.
I also believe that he will be welcomed by our immigrant community and the healthcare community.
I do have concerns though, some are obvious, some are not.
First, it is safe to assume Dr. Chima was selected through a national search conducted by the city’s health board. It is probably safe to say that the mayor’s office and HR department had little to do with the selection, but I’m sure they had to put their stamps on it. I’m sure we will hear more about that in the coming weeks.
My biggest concerns are how he will be accepted by our Healthcare industrial complex in the city that thrives on keeping people just sick enough so they make money which goes against his philosophy of wholistic care and preventative medicine. This of course is not just a problem in our community but across America and why healthcare in this nation is so expensive and really not that good.
I also am concerned how he will operate openly in a very closed city government. Science and medicine performs the best under trust and honesty.
Lastly, I am concerned about the bigots in our city that won’t give him a chance. I think HE can handle it, but I am not naive, he will have some enormous obstacles to overcome when it comes to racism.
I wish him luck, I think he will be transformative, if we will let him.