Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Health Administration

College

College of Health Professions

First Advisor

Walter Jones

Second Advisor

Jillian Harvey

Third Advisor

Sonya Smith

Abstract

Research shows race concordance between patient and health professional positively influences health outcomes and community health. For African American (AA) communities, increases in minority health professional training produce these positive outcomes. However, Southern states have historically faced challenges in providing equal access to higher education for AA students, creating a barrier to patient-to-health professional race concordance. From 2001-2006, the Geier Consent Decree was instituted by a Southern state in Tennessee to increase AA enrollment at the state’s largest public medical school. Despite the legal mandate to eradicate segregation, ten years after the end of the decree, AA medical school enrollment dropped from 9.5% to an astonishingly low 1.76% in 2016. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of this major consent decree on AA enrollment at the state’s largest public medical school in Tennessee. The comprehensive retrospective review and its five-year effect included a qualitative analysis of historical documents and in-depth semi-structured interviews. The key informants were selected through snowball sampling based on their relevant knowledge of the study. The study also included a quantitative data analysis of AA enrollment, comparing data during the decree, 2001-2006, to data after the dismissal of the lawsuit in 2006, 2007-2018. Results indicate that despite the legal mandate, a lack of ongoing funding after 2006 and reduced institutional and personal support led to an eventual decline in AA enrollment. The results further suggest that legal initiatives such as a consent decree are beneficial in setting diversity standards, however other key factors come into play in ensuring successful sustainable plans for eradicating segregation.

Rights

All rights reserved. Copyright is held by the author.

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