Keith Grant and Medical Representation – NBC Connecticut
Throughout February, we’re spotlighting community leaders who are working to make a difference. It is part of our “Connecticut in Color” series.
Keith Grant has become a trusted voice when people have questions about infectious diseases, especially COVID-19. Grant’s role in the United States Air Force along with humble beginnings allowed him to serve his country with medicine.
Keith Grant served in the US Air Force. Her time in the Air Force allowed her to go to nursing school and understand the importance of representation in the medical field.
Grant is the Senior Associate Director of Infectious Prevention at Hartford Healthcare. He is responsible for understanding the latest viral diseases and offering solutions to try to prevent potential spread.
“I like doing this where we can observe how science works and appreciate that people are driving the numbers and your actions,” Grant said.
The nurse practitioner told NBC Connecticut that he came to appreciate his role as a black medical leader, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is the first time in my professional career that I’ve thought about really enjoying being black,” Grant said. “I’ve never been in a position where it’s been so prominent that we have regular race-centric conversations.”
Grant pictured with his children and his wife whom he credits as one of the people who encouraged him to pursue a career in epidemiology.
He also juggles a career in the Air Force for 16 years. It was her time in the military that allowed her to earn her nurse practitioner license and better understand why more people of color are needed in the medical industry.
“I loved being in the military and serving as a doctor,” Grant said. “It also allowed me to see the limited number of people of color on the pitch and I think we really need to be careful about that.”
According to data released by the Association of American Medical Colleges, only 5% of practicing physicians identified as black in 2018, and only 5.8% identified as Hispanic, while at least 56% identified as whites.
“Representation is really important in every field but especially in medicine during a pandemic because there’s real mistrust,” said Dr. Lorenzo Boyd, vice president for diversity and inclusion at the University of New Haven. . “What we need is more doctors and nurses who belong to the black community and identify as black and brown and who will advocate for them.”
Grant hopes young people of color will receive both resources and opportunities to pursue careers in the medical field in the future.
“If we understand that young people of color aspire to pursue health care careers, we need to be committed to making sure they have what they need to succeed,” Grant said. “We also need more mentorship once people have entered the medical career.”