Unique Healthcare-Related Anxiety In The Time Of Racial Injustice And Covid

This article provides a narrative of a behavioral health referral for a patient experiencing anxiety regarding an upcoming knee surgery. Based on the referral note, the provider anticipated the anxiety was related to fear of needles; however, the patient reported the anxiety was race-related and a direct result of media attention around the Black Lives Matter movement. This narrative shares the provider's reflections on her own biases and makes suggestions on how healthcare providers can improve understanding of minority patients' experiences and their own implicit bias.