Company behind Black physician finder website accused of racial discrimination in a lawsuit

A race-based physician finder is facing a federal lawsuit, alleging that the company behind it and its founder are engaging in discrimination.

The lawsuit against Find a Black Doctor and its founder Dina Strachan, MD, was filed by Travis Morrell, MD—a dermatologist based in Colorado who takes issue with the services’ Black-only eligibility policy.

Find a Black Doctor, which operates as a website where patients across the U.S. can connect with Black primary and specialty care clinicians, including dentists, in their area, was founded in 2005 by Strachan, who is also a dermatologist. It shut down in 2008 but was relaunched in 2019.

According to the legal complaint, the directory limits eligibility to “Black physicians and dentists in active clinical practice,” something the group openly admits on its website. Morrell maintains that by enforcing this policy, the service violates federal laws that guarantee equal protection under the law.

His complaint has the backing of Do No Harm, a conservative political advocacy group working to eliminate what it sees as diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in healthcare.

In its coverage of the case, the New York Post said Do No Harm argues that physicians are harmed by Find a Black Doctor, as many are excluded solely for not being Black.

Notably, the only question regarding race on the application to be listed in the directory is one that asks if a practice is “Black-owned.”

All the same, Morrell, as the plaintiff in the case, alleges that Find a Black Doctor perpetuates “harmful, offensive, and racist stereotypes” in order to thrive, with claims on its website about the connection between race and health, including one mention in the lawsuit that encourages Black men to see a Black physician as their primary care provider in an effort to improve outcomes.