A growing body of research has shown significant disparities in health delivery among minority patients, negatively impacting health care outcomes. Understanding implicit bias within the Military Medical System is crucial for leaders to understand barriers to care for both active-duty Military Members and Veterans. The impact of limited representation of minority providers on Service Members of Color to seek medical care can have a profound impact on health care outcomes, both long and short term. To ensure the highest caliber of care is given to all Service Members, leaders must be willing to look at health care outcomes and assess for the possible impact of implicit biases to improve deficits within the findings. MAJ Joseph Gomez, a Physician Assistant in the United States Army, shares his personal experiences as both a patient and provider of navigating biases in the military medical system and how he advocates for change through education and mentorship.
MAJ Joseph Gomez has served in the United States Army for 22 years, with 10 years of service as a laboratory technician while an Enlisted Soldier. MAJ Gomez went on to graduate from the Interservice Physician Assistants Program and continues to serve as a Physician Assistant. He has been deployed multiple times, provided medical services in a forward deployed environment, with Infantry and Aviation units, and has served as a clinic chief.