How to Vet Your Healthcare Professionals

When you’re sick or injured, you’re at your most vulnerable. You may or may not have the knowledge to discern whether the care you’re receiving from your medical team is appropriate. In today’s climate of widespread antisemitism, it is natural for a Jewish person to be fearful, or at least concerned, that healthcare professionals you encounter might wish you harm.

Here are some tips for selecting your physicians and other providers carefully. 

1.     Ask friends, family members, and neighbors for personal recommendations. Your local Jewish community (ie synagogue, JCC, Jewish Federation) may also maintain a list of their members who are physicians. It doesn’t hurt to ask!

2.     Research your healthcare team ahead of your appointment. Use google, social media such as Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and others. Many healthcare professionals are also using LinkedIn and have been spotted making public antisemitic comments there. 

3.     Keep your eyes open. If you see something concerning during your visit, write it down as soon as you leave. While we wouldn’t recommend in person confrontation, we do recommend keeping a thorough and accurate narrative of what happened, and forwarding it to the appropriate authority (ie office manager, hospital leadership, licensing board.) Contact us if you need help figuring out how to do this.  If you do believe you encountered a potential antisemitic individual during your visit, you do not have to follow the recommendations you received! Don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion.

The above recommendations might be impossible if you’re seeking emergency care.  And worrying about antisemitism has the potential to worsen an already frightening situation.  

We are an organization that exists solely because antisemitism in healthcare exists. We have exposed countless physicians, advance practice providers, nurses, social workers, mental health professionals, and more. Despite all of this, we still believe that the vast majority of healthcare workers have good intentions and would never deliberately cause harm to anyone. 

If you or someone you know has experienced antisemitism while receiving medical care, please reach out to us. 

Physicians Against Antisemitism

Instagram: @physiciansagainstantisemitism2 Website:  www.physiciansagainstantisemitism.com
Email: Physiciansagainstantisemitism@gmail.com