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The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported the COVID-19 death rate is notably higher among people of color, not to mention the fact that African Americans in coronavirus hot spots are twice as likely to die from the illness than their white counterparts.

It's a heartbreaking reality Art Gianelli, president of Mount Sinai Morningside, and his colleagues at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City know too well.

\"We all saw first hand when black and brown patients came into our emergency departments, they came in sicker and were more apt to die from the virus,\" Gianelli said. \"Our staff continues to see and feel it. But we don't have the tools right now to change that. These are long-standing issues with health care disparities that need to be addressed and not the virus itself.\"

\"PHOTO:
Mount Sinai Health System
PHOTO: Medical workers gather outside Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital June 2 to support protesters demanding action in wake of George Floyd's death.
>

Gianelli explained the significant number of lives lost at Mount Sinai hospitals contributed to a system-wide show of support for protesters Tuesday, with scrub-clad doctors and nurses holding a moment of silence to honor George Floyd before cheering on fellow New Yorkers protesting as they passed medical facilities throughout the city. It's a nod to those demanding action against decades of racial injustice-- an idea Gianelli says pulls on the very heartstrings of health care.

\"Our roots are in caring for people who are discriminated against so in many ways, this was getting at the core values of this health system,\" Gianelli said. \"Honoring George Floyd's memory with peaceful protesters is something many of us at Mt. Sinai are committed to.\"

\"PHOTO:
Mount Sinai Health System
PHOTO: Medical workers gather outside Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital June 2 to support protesters demanding action in wake of George Floyd's death.
>

That commitment appears to ring true for thousands of American healthcare workers and civilians too, perhaps characterized best by Johnson's answer to a police officer who asked why he's marching.

\"I handed her a list of recommendations that we have,\" Johnson explained. \"Yes, George Floyd died, and yes, the way it happened is common practice. We've seen the same type of incidents here in New York. We want more diversity among psychiatrists that do evaluations of officers before they are hired. More transparency from the Civilian Complaint Review Board. But mostly, we simply want the police to stop brutalizing us.\"

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