Podcast | Dr. Ben Danielson on racism and resigning from Seattle Children’s
The former medical director of Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic shares his surprise at the support he received in his protest against the hospital and his thoughts on what’s next.
Sponsors help make Crosscut’s independent nonprofit journalism possible. However, sponsors have no influence over editorial content. To view Crosscut’s editorial independence policy, visit our advertising definitions page .
Dr. Ben Danielson (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
When Dr. Ben Danielson resigned in protest from his position as medical director of the Odessa Brown Children's Clinic late last year, he ended two decades in a role he regarded as his "dream job." And when that decision was made public, it thrust the doctor into a new role, as an unofficial spokesperson and high-profile advocate for equity in our health care systems.
In the weeks following the publication of a Crosscut report detailing the doctor's claims of racism at Seattle Children's Hospital, which runs the clinic, supporters came out in droves, and the Seattle institution responded by firing one of its leaders and launching an independent investigation.
Subscribe to Crosscut Talks on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Podbean.
Four months later, Danielson has a different job as a clinical professor of pediatrics at University of Washington Medical Center and he is continuing to tell his story. For the latest edition of Crosscut's Northwest Newsmakers event series, host Mónica Guzmán sat down with the doctor to reflect on the last few months and to talk about how we might address systemic racism in the health care industry and beyond.
