Two weeks ago I shared that we can and must do better as a field to address racism as a public health crisis. As you and your associates demonstrated during the recent White Coats for Black Lives tributes and in your celebrations of Juneteenth yesterday, it is not enough to denounce hateful behavior and systemic racism—we must act.

Monday would have been the MHA 2020 Annual Membership Meeting. It was the right decision to cancel it, at the same time it’s disappointing to miss seeing so many of you in person. Beyond the need to keep social distancing, we know right now you need time to unburden yourselves of the stress the last three months has put on your hospitals and systems. Plus, you continue to care for COVID-19 patients and many others who are in worse shape due to postponing care. What’s more, you have to prepare for a possible second surge.

Like people across our nation, we at MHA and throughout the hospital field have been deeply affected by the tragic, senseless killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many others. These losses take a toll, not only on their grieving families, but on us all, as we struggle with the very real consequences of longstanding, systemic racism.

COVID-19 has upended all our lives. In the process, it has revealed how we might deliver even better care and make the system work more efficiently for all. The most striking example is telehealth, which became the norm in Maryland and nationwide almost overnight. With the need to keep social distance, many patients and health care providers turned to their computers, phones, and other devices to seek and to deliver care.