Journalist traces dismantling of Black-owned medical institutions across the South

Why it matters locally: The dismantling of Black-owned medical institutions detailed in this investigation directly impacted Louisiana, contributing to enduring health disparities and limited medical access for African American communities across the state, which persist today. The historical context offered by Carr's research sheds light on the origins of some of the health challenges faced by Louisiana's diverse population.

Investigative journalist Nicole Carr documents how Black physicians constructed hospitals, clinics and medical schools throughout the South during the early 20th century in her new book, "The Price of Exclusion." Those institutions did not survive. Policy, segregation and an influential report combined to dismantle the medical infrastructure that African American doctors had established. Carr traces this history through her own family's experiences while examining how the consequences of that dismantling continue to shape health outcomes and medical access. In an interview with journalist Geoff Bennett, Carr discusses her investigation into this period of medical history and its ongoing effects. The book examines how exclusionary practices in medicine created lasting disparities that persist in contemporary health care. CArr's research reveals the mechanisms through which segregationist policies eliminated Black-owned and operated medical facilities. An influential report played a role in accelerating that process, according to her findings. The author's personal connection to the subject matter informed her investigation. By examining her own family's involvement in these institutions, Carr connects broader historical patterns to individual stories of loss and displacement. The book addresses how the destruction of these medical institutions affected not only the physicians who built them but also the communities they served. Limited access to quality medical care became a consequence of this dismantling, with impacts that extended decades beyond the institutions' closure. Curr's work contributes to a growing body of scholarship examining how discriminatory policies in American medicine shaped racial disparities in health care and health outcomes. Her investigation shows how historical decisions made a century ago continue to influence contemporary medical practice and access.