NMA President Dr. Roger Mitchell tells Congressional Committee Diversity in Medical Education Improves Patient Safety and Care for All
For Immediate Release:
July 14, 2026
Statement attributable to:
126th President, National Medical Association
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Dr. Roger A. Mitchell, Jr., 126th President of the National Medical Association (NMA), testified before the House Committee on Education and Workforce during the hearing, Training Activists, Not Physicians: The Impact of DEI on Medical Schools, delivering a forceful defense of medical excellence, physician diversity, and patient-centered care.
During his testimony, Dr. Mitchell underscored that rigorous academic and clinical standards and a diverse, culturally prepared physician workforce are not competing priorities, they are essential to delivering high quality healthcare for every American.
“You don’t have to choose between excellence and equity. You don’t have to choose between innovation and inclusion. Creating an inclusive workforce that can heal every patient, every family and every community must be our goal,” Dr. Mitchell said during his remarks.
For more than 130 years, the NMA has championed policies that eliminate health disparities, expand access to quality healthcare, and strengthen the nation’s physician workforce. Diversity in medical school admissions and medical education improves patient safety, enhances quality of care, and helps address physician shortages in rural and historically underserved communities.
“Effective communication is clinical competency, not political ideology. A physician who cannot understand the human experience is not fully prepared for modern medicine,” Dr. Mitchell said.
A summary of Dr. Mitchell’s testimony is available here: CLICK HERE.
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About the National Medical Association:
The National Medical Association is the nation’s oldest and largest organization representing Black physicians and health professionals in the U.S. and promotes the collective interests of physicians and patients of African descent. We serve as the voice of Black physicians and a leading voice for parity in medicine, elimination of health disparities and promotion of optimal health. To learn more about the NMA, please visit https://www.nmanet.org/.
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