COLLABORATIVE TO END
RACE-BASED MEDICINE
DETROIT
EXPERT AND COMMUNITY DIALOGUE
ABOUT CERM-D
Detroit Taskforce
About CERM-Detroit
Founded initially in 2023 as the Detroit End Race-Based Medicine Taskforce by Drs. Opara and Riddle-Jones, the Collaborative to End Race-Based Medicine-Detroit is a diverse international coalition of clinicians, legislators, administrators, industry leaders and community members working to eradicate the practice of race-based medicine through education, research and advocacy.
Core Mission & Core Ideology
The task force operates under the principle that race is a sociopolitical construct, not a biological or genetic determinant. It explicitly defines "race-based medicine" as a form of clinical systemic racism grounded in racial essentialism—the incorrect belief that races are biologically distinct. The organization asserts that racism, rather than race itself, is the true vector driving racial health disparities.
Primary Strategic Goals
The initiative outlines three central pillars to transform medical education and regional clinical systems:
Goal: Cease & Divest
Operational Strategy: Completely discontinue and de-adopt race-based practices, research metrics, and training curricula.
Target Area: Hospital networks, local clinics, and medical school coursework.
Goal: Eliminate "Race Correction"Remove racial variables from automated medical software, diagnostic devices, and clinical algorithms.
Target Area: Nephrology (eGFR/kidney data), Pulmonology(PFTs/pulse oximeters), and Cardiology (ASCVD calculators).
Goal: Institutionalize New Frameworks
Operational Strategy: Actively transition hospital systems and physicians away from race-based algorithms to racism-conscious medicine.
Target Area: Systemic healthcare policies, practitioner support tools, and clinical audits.