WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Black obstetrician-gynecologist in West Palm Beach is working to address the critical shortage of minority doctors in her field while tackling the maternal mortality crisis affecting Black women.
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Dr. Colette Brown-Graham has specialized in women's health for more than 30 years and has made breaking down barriers in the OBGYN field her mission. She serves as an active member of the T. Leroy Jefferson Medical Society, named after the first Black doctor in West Palm Beach, where she collaborates with other professionals to recruit more minorities into the profession.
"It is critical, it is critical," Brown-Graham said. "I would like to see other people who look like me, maybe who don't look like me, but everyone to be able to come into this profession."
African American obstetrician-gynecologists face unique challenges as what experts call a "double minority"— not only as people of color but also as women, who make up the majority in this medical specialty, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The work carries urgent importance. The National Center for Health Statistics reports that Black women remain two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Medical experts attribute part of that gap to cultural issues and awareness, positioning Black OBGYNs as a vital component in achieving healthy outcomes and combating maternal mortality and morbidity.
Brown-Graham's efforts through the medical society represent a grassroots approach to addressing both the representation gap in medicine and the health disparities that continue to affect Black mothers and babies.
