>>> ACCUSATIONS OF RACISM, COMING FROM ONE OF CALIFORNIA'S LARGEST MEDICAL PROVIDERS, DISCRIMINATING AGAINST BLACK PHYSICIANS AND THAT IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR DECADES. >> WE INTRODUCED YOU TO A NATIONAL RENOWNED OPHTHALMOLOGIST AT CENTER HEALTH IN PALO ALTO, HE FILED A RACIAL DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE HOSPITAL SYSTEM, SEVEN OTHER BLACK DOCTORS ARE INCLUDED. TONIGHT THREE MORE PHYSICIANS ARE COMING FORWARD WITH ALLEGATIONS OF DISCRIMINATION. >> THERE SPEAKING EXCESSIVELY TO OUR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER. >> THESE PHYSICIANS TELL US THEY WERE REPEATEDLY BULLIED, HARASSED AND HUMILIATED ALL BECAUSE THEY ARE BLACK. FOR SOME, THE DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS ARE RECENT BUT OTHERS TELL US THE RACISM ENCOUNTERED AT SUTTER DATES BACK YEARS. THEY BELIEVE THE HOSPITAL GIANT HAS DONE LITTLE TO CURATE. >> HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED DISCRIMINATION WHILE WORKING AT A SUTTER HOSPITAL? >> ALL OF YOU. >> IT WAS A TOXIC ENVIRONMENT THAT PERMEATED. >> I WAS TRAUMATIZED. >> IT IS INSIDIOUS HERE WITHIN SUTTER.>> Reporter: THE DOCTORS HAD NEVER MET ONE ANOTHER UNTIL WE INVITED THEM HERE TO SPEAK WITH US. THEY ARE STRANGERS WHO HAVE JUST DISCOVERED THEY SHARE A CONNECTION FOR YEARS.>> HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN TO ALL OF THIS? >> Reporter: THE TRIO PHYSICIANS WORKED AT SUTTER HEALTH IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS DURING DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS. BUT THEY ARE NOW SHARING SIMILAR STORIES OF REPEATED ACTS OF DISCRIMINATION, FROM LEADERS INSIDE OF ONE OF CALIFORNIA'S LARGEST HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS. >> ALL THE SUDDEN YOU'RE BEING TOLD YOU'RE DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH, SO AND SO THAT YOU ARE YELLING OR THEY WERE SCARED OF YOU.>> YOU ARE INTIMIDATED. WE ARE GOING TO PUT YOU IN THIS REMEDIATION CLASS AND LEARN HOW TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE, AND ALL OF THAT TAKES A TOLL ON YOU, IT WAS NEVER ABOUT YOUR CARE BUT THEY WOULD ALWAYS FIND LITTLE THINGS TO ESCALATED TO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LEVEL. SPEAKERS SIMILAR TO DOCTOR MIKE DAVIES, I WAS LABELED A DISRUPTIVE PHYSICIAN. >> DISRUPTIVE? >> YES, IF I WAS COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE ON STERILE INSTRUMENTS ON THE BACK TABLE, I BECAME THE PROBLEM, IT IS REALLY SCARY FOR PATIENTS. >> ASKING FOR AN ULTRASOUND TO DO A LIVER BIOPSY, AND I SAID IS DIFFICULT WHEN YOU'RE ASKING FOR AND ARE BECOMING DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH AND I THOUGHT THAT'S BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE WHERE THE LIVER IS, YOU'RE ASKING FOR THESE THINGS AND THEIR WAY OF HANDLING IT IS, TURNING THE PROBLEM UNTO YOU. >> RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON THE PROBLEM, YOU BECAME THE PROBLEM? >> THAT'S HOW WE BECAME TARGETS. >> IT IS INTOLERABLE AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, SO WE MOVE ON AND TRY TO FIND A SAFER PLACE TO WORK.>> Reporter: THEY QUIT AFTER A COMBINED EXPERIENCE OF ROUGHLY 2 DECADES AT SUTTER HEALTH, DOCTOR SMOTHERS LEFT LAST YE, DOCTOR MILLER LEFT IN 2006, DOCTOR DAVIES DEPARTED IN 2013. AND IN THE DECADES SINCE, SHE BELIEVES THAT SUTTER HAS DONE LITTLE TO CURB DISCRIMINATION. IS THE SAME STORY BEING TOLD OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHICH IS SHOCKING. >> Reporter: DOCTOR DAVIES SPENT 10 YEARS HELPING CHILDREN AS A PEDIATRIC G.I., AT THE FLAGSHIP HOSPITAL IN SACRAMENTO. DURING THAT TIME SHE SAYS ONE OF HER SUPERVISORS SECRETLY HAD A HIDDEN CAMERA INSTALLED IN HER MEDICAL SUPPLY CLOSET, WHICH DOCTOR MIKE DAVIES SAYS ONLY FIVE OTHER EMPLOYEES REGULARLY USED. SHE CITY HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE WORKER WHO TOLD HER ABOUT THE CAMERA SAID HE INSTALLED IT WHILE SHE WAS ON VACATION. >> I THOUGHT WHAT, HE TAKES ME INTO THE ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE, JUST AROUND THE CORNER, AND NEXT TO HER DESK WAS A LIVE FEED OF THIS CAMERA, THIS IS SUTTER. I DID NOT FEEL SAFE THERE. >> Reporter: SUTTER HEALTH DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE ACCUSATIONS BUT HAS BEEN FORCED TO DEFEND ITSELF AGAINST SIMILAR CLAIMS. LAST MONTH WE TOLD YOU ABOUT A PENDING RACIAL DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST SUTTER BY ANOTHER BLACK PHYSICIAN, AND BACK THEN SUTTER TOLD US IN A STATEMENT, WE ARE COMMITTED TO FOSTERING A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE WORK FORCE AS WELL AS A HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENT WHERE ALL ARE TREATED EQUITABLY, WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT, AND PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. >> WHO WERE WHAT DO YOU BLAME FOR THE KIND OF TREATMENT THAT YOU EXPERIENCED AT SUTTER? BIGGER LEADERSHIP. AND THE CULTURE WITHIN LEADERSHIP >> IT IS THE LEADERSHIP THAT DETERMINES THE CULTURE ULTIMATELY, IT STARTS AT THE TOP.>> WHAT MAKES ME SUTTER PROUD AS OUR PEOPLE, THEY DO SUCH AMAZING WORK EVERY DAY TAKING CARE OF PATIENTS AND FAMILIES AND TAKING CARE OF OUR COMMUNITIES. >> Reporter: WARNER THOMAS IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO, OVERSEEING THE SYSTEMS 50,000 EMPLOYEES AND MORE THAN 20 HOSPITALS ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. HE WAS APPOINTED LATE LAST YEAR AFTER ALL THREE DOCTORS HAD ALREADY LEFT SUTTER. WE ASKED TO SPEAK WITH THE CEO ABOUT HIS EFFORTS TO COMBAT DISCRIMINATION, BUT HIS OFFICE DECLINED. >> DR. SMOTHERS, YOU HAVE BEEN A PHYSICIAN FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS, YOU'VE WORKED AT SIX DIFFERENT HOSPITALS, HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED DISCRIMINATION LIKE THIS BEFORE? >> NO, NOWHERE CLOSE TO WHAT I EXPERIENCED WITHIN SUTTER. >> Reporter: UNTIL LAST YEAR HE SERVED AS THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER FOR THE HOSPITAL IN SACRAMENTO, DURING HIS FIVE YEARS THERE, HE SAID HE WAS THE ONLY BLACK PERSON TO SERVE IN THAT POSITION IN ANY SUTTER HOSPITAL. ACCORDING TO THE DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT, LIKE DOCTORS ACCOUNT FOR LESS THAN 1% OF PHYSICIANS IN LEADERSHIP WITHIN SUTTER. SUTTER WOULD NOT COMMENT ON THE ACCURACY OF THE FIGURES NOR WOULD IT RELEASE RACIAL DEMOGRAPHICS FOR ITS 12,000 PHYSICIANS. >> ALTHOUGH THEY CLAIM TO BE THE ORGANIZATION OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FACE OF SUTTER IT IS NOT THE CASE. >> Reporter: WHILE WORKING THERE IS CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, HE SAYS THE SUPERVISOR, THE HOSPITAL CEO, TOLD HIM HE WAS BEING GROOMED TO EVENTUALLY BECOME THE NEXT CEO, BUT DR. SMOTHERS SAID LATER THE BOSS SAID THE PLAN WAS NEXT BY HIGHER-UPS AND THE JOB WAS GIVEN TO A WHITE WOMAN. >> SOMEONE WHO HAD NEVER HAD EXPERIENCE WORKING IN A LARGE COMPLEX SYSTEM, IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT IT HAD TO BE RACE DETERMINING WHY THIS PERSON WAS PUT IN THAT POSITION. >> SUCH ARE WOULD NOT COMMENT ON WHY HE WAS PASSED OVER, THEY SAY WE PASSIONATELY SUPPORT SPEAKING UP TO END RACIAL INJUSTICE AND ADDRESS HEALTH INEQUITIES IN HEALTHCARE. >> WOULD MATTERS IS HOW THEY FEEL THEY'VE BEEN TREATED, NOT HOW THEY FEEL. >> Reporter: THE ONLY BLACK SURGEON, STAFF FREQUENTLY CALLED HER BY HER FIRST NAME, EVEN THOUGH SHE SAYS THEY ALWAYS ADDRESS THE WHITE MALE SURGEONS IS DOCTOR, THE REPEATED DISCRIMINATION AT SUTTER IS IN PART WHAT INSPIRED HER TO CREATE PHYSICIAN JUST EQUITY, A NONPROFIT FOCUSED ON PROVIDING SUPPORT TO DOCTORS AND MEDS STUDENTS EXPERIENCING RACISM INSIDE THEIR OWN HOSPITALS AND CLINICS. IN JUST TWO YEARS THEY HAVE RECEIVED HELP REQUESTS FOR MORE THAN 100 PHYSICIANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. >> IF UNDERREPRESENTED BLACK DOCTORS ARE BEING STRUCTURALLY ELIMINATED FROM THE WORKFORCE, THAT MEANS IT WILL IMPACT THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE. >> IF YOU'RE NOT REALLY TRYING TO BECOME MORE DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE, THE PATIENTS FEEL IT, THAT'S THE BIGGER PITCHER OF THIS. IT BECOMES A BIGGER PROBLEM FOR PATIENTS. >> THE U.S. IS ALREADY HEADED TOWARDS A MASSIVE PHYSICIAN SHORTAGE. AT THE SAME TIME RESEARCH SHOWS THE YOUNGEST OF BLACK DOCTORS, THE RESIDENCE AND TRAINING, ARE LEAVING MEDICINE AT DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGHER RATES. THE LACK OF REPRESENTATION HOSPITALS AND CLINICS COULD BE A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. THE FIRST OF ITS KIND STUDY PUBLISHED JUST LAST MONTH FOUND WHEN COUNTIES HAVE MORE BLACK DOCTORS, BLACK RESIDENTS THERE TEND TO LIVE LONGER. WITH THE INVESTIGATIVE UNIT. >> THANK YOU. IF YOU HAVE A STORY,
