INDIANAPOLIS — Lawmakers from around the country are bringing compassion in health care to the forefront.
Their mission centers around cultural awareness training.
The death of an Indiana doctor is part of their plea for change.
Indiana State Representative Robin Shackleford authored legislation.
On Thursday, her amendment passed unanimously at the National Conference of State Legislatures Health and Human Services Committee.
The legislation follows recommendations by the Indiana Minority Task Force last summer to address the impact of COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities. Members recommended more legislation to address implicit bias.
The death of Indiana doctor Susan Moore gave it greater meaning. Moore died from COVID-19 in December 2020 after she said IU Health doctors provided inadequate care because she was a Black woman.
Two weeks before her death, Dr. Moore described how she was denied treatment on a viral Facebook video.
A review panel found the medical care Moore received did not contribute to her death, but there was a lack of compassion and empathy in her care.
Shackleford said what happened to Moore emphasizes why this kind of training is necessary.
"[I was] just mad at how she was being treated. Seeing a doctor actually go through this, knowing many of my constituents and family members have experienced the same thing," said Shackleford. "But you would think someone who is working with her colleagues and is actually in such a state that she is literally dying that they would be more compassionate."
Shackleford is part of Indiana's Black Legislative Caucus. The caucus and the Indiana Minority Health Coalition have been working to improve health care diversity since last summer.
"I think you're going to see hospital systems, health professional organizations actually embracing this training," said Shackleford.
Some hospitals have trainings, but Shackleford said not all of them do.
"Everyone deserves to be treated fair in our health care system, and we want to make sure that no one is going to be injured, or no one is going to experience death because they weren't treated with some type of compassion during their care," said Shackleford.
After Friday's vote, the directive moves on to Congress for a final vote.
Shackleford said she will ask Congressman Andre Carson to consider backing this legislation.