He Was Told Medicine Was Too Hard For A Black Man. He Didn’t Listen.
Dr. Richard Butcher died earlier this month, but he'll be remembered for his work with San Diego's under-served populations.
KPBS Public Media:
This Black Doctor Defied Discrimination, And San Diego Reaped The Benefits
One of only a handful of African American doctors in San Diego in the early 1970s, Butcher focused on underserved populations, which few doctors wanted to treat. Medicaid, now called Medi-Cal in the state, reimbursed patients at lower rates than Medicare or commercial plans and still does. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, Butcher became a leader not just in San Diego, where he was the first black president of the San Diego County Medical Society representing some 8,000 physicians and founded a multicultural network of doctors. (Clark, 11/23)