= new reply since forum marked as read
Doctors couldn't operate without the miners who dig out the metal for their surgical instruments, the farmers that grew/raised their breakfast, the janitors who keep the place clean enough to operate in, etc. Not relevant to the topic, sure, but it's a nice thing to consider to brighten your day a bit (and we could all use some of that around here) 
But to dire things...
Yes, that day I made that comment, I had actually been talking to a fellow grad student who had recently had some related experiences. He's a large, black man who recently had a stay in the hospital for blood clots. He got the usually (I assume) array of medicines to take to mitigate the problems, but he was telling me about how he had to go out of his way to get advice/instructions on lifestyle/diet/exercise and keeping weight down...etc. He studies attitudes of racism as a cultural anthropologist (I'm an archaeologist...anthropologist as well), so in retrospect, he closely examined the experiences he had over his time in the hospital. He noted that his condition (weight issues and associated health problems) was viewed as somewhat of an inevitability. "Oh, well, black men gain weight and have heart attacks, just happens." So, they stuck to medications while on the "making changes" side of things, they were pretty much silent. Of course, this is a thread many doctors use for all patients...."medicate, medicate, medicate." However, the "large black man heart attack" is such an ingrained medical stereotype that some doctors apparently treat it as a natural, medical inevitability. So, my friend had to go out of his way to get access to preventative advice and information. Luckily, he did, and is changing his lifestyle and such...but those with less resources, less informed, less motivated, with more deference to doctors, or with less confidence to confront the doctor with it may very well have gone home with only their medicinal regimen.
It was a complicated situation with a lot of underlying biases, stereotypes, and factors....but the racial undertones in his experience (vs say...my grandpa's experience) are evident. What's so disheartening about it isn't that it was cruel or overt, but that it was hardly even noticed...not by the doctor, and almost not by the patient. Instead, it was passed over and almost ignored as the "natural order" of things...and so, quite insidious. Thus, people who are certainly not racists by any means can still be a party to a malignant systematic racism. We can all be tools to it.
Edit:
At the same time, I suppose there is an upside to that kind of racism. An overt racist is unlikely to change their views and beliefs regardless. However, someone who unknowingly holds erroneous, stereotyped views can (and usually will) modify their views to closer fit reality if they are gently educated or informed that "Well, no, that's not really true." Awareness, bringing it to their attention, can often fix the problem, at least for the individual. One doctor down....thousands to go
I myself have (and perhaps everyone has) excised many of these erroneous beliefs. When I become aware of such beliefs, it is both tremendously embarrassing and at the same time liberating...cathartic. The views are remodeled in unending fashion to more closely match reality, and I become just a little be better for it.
