Portland, OR—OCHIN stands in solidarity with the African American community. Black lives matter and we must all do more to protect them.

For 20 years, OCHIN has worked to address differences in health that are systemic, avoidable, and unjust—now the importance of fulfilling that commitment is even more urgent.

Today, we stand up to say the structural inequality and racism faced by America’s Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) must end.

We grieve the most recent unjust killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, and the many others before them that are less well-known or were not explicitly caught on video. We also recognize these are not isolated incidents, but part of a wider culture of exclusion, inequity, and endemic racism that must be transformed before any more lives are lost.

OCHIN will continue to use our data, tools, and expertise, to actively dismantle institutional racism and improve the health and safety of every member of our communities. This is core to our mission as an organization, and technology has helped us expose and quantify the inequalities that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color have known for a long time. But we must accelerate our efforts to drive meaningful and lasting change in this country.

We believe that equitable access to high-quality health care is a right, not a privilege. We are committed to supporting individuals and communities that are negatively impacted by structural, unconscious, or overt racism to ensure they have access to the best care. And we are re-examining our roles, both as a national organization and as individuals, in creating a more just society—one where hate, violence, and discrimination have no place.

From our board and staff to the provider organizations in our network and the individuals and families they serve, we are strengthened by our diversity. OCHIN will redouble our efforts to be a driving force for health equity, while partnering to advance social justice in our communities.