FHC #184: Dr. Uché Blackstock on racism, sexism and fixing medicine

In the first episode of Fixing Healthcare’s 11th season, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr speak with Dr. Uché Blackstock, an emergency physician, bestselling author and health equity expert.

This season turns the spotlight on voices from social media, offering insights into what patients actually want from the U.S. healthcare system. Dr. Blackstock (whose online following is both massive and deeply engaged) shares the concerns she hears most often: fears about rising insurance premiums, confusion around preventive screenings and frustration with a system that feels inaccessible, dismissive or even dangerous for many women and people of color.

Dr. Blackstock is the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity and author of Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine, a memoir that blends personal history with data and policy analysis. In her conversation with Dr. Pearl and Jeremy Corr, she highlights several ways the U.S. healthcare system must change to better serve all patients:

Bridging The Access Gap
Dr. Blackstock discusses the urgent need to expand access to preventive care, particularly for groups at higher risk of being overlooked or underserved. She emphasizes the role of health literacy, equitable coverage, and primary care investment in closing these gaps, especially in communities where hospitals and clinics remain out of reach.

Rebuilding Trust
From maternal mortality to COVID response, Dr. Blackstock explains how structural racism, sexist bias and historical injustice continue to shape patient outcomes. She urges clinicians and institutions to take these realities seriously, listen more closely to patients’ concerns and build relationships rooted in dignity and respect.

Rethinking The System Itself
Rather than settle for incremental fixes, Dr. Blackstock calls for a complete overhaul of American medicine. She argues we must reduce administrative waste, center community-based care, and treat universal access to healthcare as a moral and civic imperative. She believes Gen Z, with its strong values, optimism and technological fluency, may be the generation to lead that change.

Throughout the episode, the conversation returns to a central question: What does it mean to be seen, heard and cared for in today’s healthcare system. And how can we ensure everyone receives that kind of care?

Tune in for the full interview and join the conversation on social media.

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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