title: A community mobilizes to end medical apartheid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  People of color suffer worse health outcomes than their White counterparts due, in part, to limited access to high-quality specialty care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article describes the events that led to the Bronx Health REACH coalition's decision to file a civil rights complaint with the New York State Office of the Attorney General alleging that three academic medical centers in New York City discriminated on the basis of payer status and race in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Hill-Burton Act, New York State regulations, and New York City Human Rights Law.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the problem has not yet been resolved, the related community mobilization efforts have raised public awareness about the impact of disparate care, strengthened the coalition's commitment to achieve health equality, and garnered support among many city and state legislators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community groups and professionals with relevant expertise can tackle complex systemic problems, but they must be prepared for a long and difficult fight.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Family Health--Bronx Health REACH/NY CEED, USA.
authors.forename: Maxine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Golub
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Calman
authors.forename: Charmaine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruddock
authors.forename: Nisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Joyce H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: Ellenrita
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Purcaro
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Backer
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Devia
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Linnell
authors.forename: Ruchi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mathur
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sachdev
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D001741:Black or African American; D002961:Civil Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003256:Community Participation; D006265:Health Care Coalitions; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000208:ethnology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008913:Minority Groups; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011287:Prejudice; D014481:United States