DOES YOUR DOCTOR'S RACE MATTER? NEW YORK CITY DERMATOLOGIST ANNOUNCES THE RELAUNCH OF A BLACK DOCTOR SEARCH ENGINE
FindaBlackDoctor.com provides a platform to find practicing Black doctors and dentists
New York, NY (BlackNews.com) -- FindaBlackDoctor.com is a free internet service that allows the public to locate U.S. based African-American physicians, as well as dentists, podiatrists, clinical psychologists, and other health care providers. It originally launched in 2005 to much acclaim as it was one of the first such directories. The website has been on hiatus since 2008.
The demand for this reliable and user-friendly service has been expressed by many African Americans. Having built a popular, independent dermatology practice in the competitive New York City market Dr. Dina Strachan, the founder of the service, states little has changed since the initial launch in 2005 despite the increased popularity of doctor directories on the internet. She explains, "It seems like every day a new patient or someone on the phone expresses that they had been frustrated in not being able to find an African American doctor." Dr. Strachan adds, "Research shows that MOST people don't care if their doctor is the same race as they are. As many as 30%, however, have been reported to prefer, for a variety of reasons, that same-race doctors just like women often prefer female gynecologists." Recent studies show that Black men particularly have better health outcomes when their doctor is of the the same race.
Dr. Strachan felt it was time to bring the website back as the internet had gotten more sophisticated and she saw the continued need. "Despite the increasing ethnic diversity in the U.S., minority physicians, who are more likely to serve minority populations, are still under-represented in the healthcare work force. This can make them harder to find despite the internet," she notes. "Patients also have an increased expectation of cultural competence."
Branding itself as a more exclusive site FindaBlackDoctor.com will only list licensed doctors and dentists practicing within the scope of their professional training. "The goal is not to necessarily have the biggest list but the most-high quality and accurate list. Visitors to the site shouldn't have to sort through stale information such as incorrect addresses," says Dr. Strachan. In addition to the traditional practice listing with the office contact information, there will be features not relevant in the past, such as social media links, credential links and more. The Docpedia page is a glossary of terms helpful in understanding healthcare. "We are very proud of this new and improved version of a concept that was one of the first to market."
Follow www.FindaBlackDoctor.com on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin) @findablackdr
About Dr. Dina D. Strachan, MD
Dina D. Strachan, M.D. is an internationally recognized, Harvard and Yale educated, board-certified dermatologist, consultant, author and speaker who directs Aglow Dermatology, a private practice she founded using her personal credit cards. She has been listed on the "Top Doctors" list in The Network Journal and named a "Super Doctor" in The New York Times. Dr. Strachan is the author of the best seller Moxie Mindset: Secrets of Profitable, Independent Physicians Practice in a Competitive Market available on Amazon. Dr. Strachan is a popular source for the local and national media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Dr. Oz Show, Crain's New York Business, Essence, Ebony, Redbook, Rolling Stone, and Good Morning America. Dr. Strachan was one of the featured physicians in the BBC America promotion, "Female Doctors Are Heroes," celebrating the casting of the first female actor in the cult series Dr. Who. Dr. Strachan holds a voluntary faculty position in the Department of Dermatology at New York University School of Medicine. She volunteers weekly at Bellevue Hospital where she teaches the next generation of dermatologists. Follow her on social media @drdinamd (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and Twitter). Follow Aglow Dermatology on Facebook @DinaStrachanMD
