Healing in a Changing America

A physician's candid guide to self-discovery and organizational effectiveness in the pursuit of health equity.

In Healing in a Changing America, Dr. George Rust offers advice on improving health equity especially targeted to the people who need to hear it most: white men, many of whom are in leadership positions throughout health care systems and medical education. He shares lessons learned pursuing health equity in diverse settings on his personal journey as a white male physician, from training in a large urban public hospital and practicing in a rural farmworker clinic to teaching and leading in a historically Black medical school. This candid book confronts uncomfortable truths about the nuances of privilege, systemic inequities, and the role that leaders must play in creating inclusive, equitable health systems.

How can we ensure diversity and build trust and strength within a health care organization? How do we know when our voice will be helpful―and when it will drown out others'? Through deeply personal and memorable stories, Rust addresses these questions and more. As an experienced educator, physician, and advocate, he helps individuals who are willing to confront their own biases and embrace the challenges of fostering diversity and equity in health care. From building trust and empowering underrepresented voices to promoting structural changes in medical education and practice, Rust shares the mistakes and successes of his own experience to equip readers with practical tools to effect meaningful change.

Healing in a Changing America offers profound insight into the transformative power of humility, listening, and learning. Whether navigating the complexities of organizational leadership or grappling with societal shifts, this essential work inspires readers to become true allies in the pursuit of justice and equity.

George Rust, MD, MPH, is a professor at Florida State University College of Medicine and Co-Director of the FSU Center for Medicine and Public Health Policy & Practice.