A community mobilizes to end medical apartheid.

Problem: People of color suffer worse health outcomes than their White counterparts due, in part, to limited access to high-quality specialty care.

Purpose: 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.

Key Points: 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.

Racial and ethnic disparities in health: a view from the South Bronx.

This study seeks to understand the perspective of Black and Hispanic/Latino residents of the South Bronx, New York, on the causes of persistent racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes. In particular, it focuses on how people who live in this community perceive and interact with the health care system. Findings from 9 focus groups with 110 participants revealed a deep and pervasive distrust of the health care system and a sense of being disrespected, exacerbated by difficulties that patients experience in communicating with their providers.