Document Type
Article
Original Publication Date
2024
Date of Submission
May 2024
Abstract
The “desegregation“ of MCV Hospitals, 1968 to 1971 Robert E. Petres
Retired OB/GYN physician recounts his experiences as resident at the Medical College of Virginia (MCV)’s St. Philip Hospital in Richmond, Va. in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
MCV declared the desegregation of its hospitals in 1965, but when Petres arrived in 1968, he observed something different. The obstetrical hospitals may have been racially integrated as a matter of policy, but in practice they were segregated. “Private Service" patients – most white women in Richmond – delivered their babies in the obstetrics unit of West Hospital, where there were trained physicians, cleaner facilities, private rooms, better analgesia, better anesthesia, and more nurses. “Staff Service” patients – virtually all Black pregnant women in Richmond – delivered their babies at St. Philip Hospital, where the staff was dedicated but resources were very limited. Petres describes difficulties of providing care while impeded by structural racism.
Rights
© 2024 the author
Is Part Of
Publications from the Office of the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences
Comments
Retired OB/GYN physician recounts his experiences as resident at the Medical College of Virginia (MCV)’s St. Philip Hospital in Richmond, Va. in the late 1960s and early 1970s.