For Richard Merchant, Cultural Understanding Multiplies Care
Curiosity led Richard Merchant ‘27 to enroll in an anthropology course when he was an undergraduate student at Michigan State University. Up until that point, Merchant had focused his energies on medical school. However, the Norfolk, New York native found that he loved the study of human societies and cultures. (“It just fits the way my brain works,” he says.) He also reasoned that a person’s early adult years are precious and go quickly and that, if he was going to dedicate them to studying anything, it should be a discipline that helped him to understand more thoroughly who he is, his place in the world and the things happening around him.
Merchant would go on to become a specialist in medical anthropology, and to build a career as an executive and educator. Today he serves as the CEO of Health WorkForce New York (HWNY), a forward-thinking nonprofit organization that innovates, builds, and deploys unique digital platforms to help institutions recruit, train and retain health care professionals, particularly underrepresented individuals, at a time when the industry is facing serious a serious shortage of providers. He directs HWNY’s three Area Health Education Centers, leading initiatives that connect students, employers, health care professionals, and community partners in order to grow career pathways and training opportunities and buoy the workforce overall.
We think of ourselves as independent creatures, but we are part of something much larger than ourselves. We are connected. When health care providers start to think that way and are able to produce better outcomes for their patients, there is a multiplier effect that extends into communities, families and workplaces.”
Merchant, who in addition to his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State holds a master’s degree from the University of Florida and completed research toward a doctoral degree at Texas A&M University, is now a candidate in Le Moyne’s Doctor of Executive Leadership Program. The decision to pursue the program was a natural one, he says.
First and foremost, Merchant believes that an understanding of anthropology serves as a wonderful foundation for healthcare providers and leaders. Familiarity with a variety of cultures, peoples, perspectives, and practices leads to better outcomes, both for people and organizations. He has experienced this firsthand in his professional life. During his time at Texas A&M for example, he served on the faculty of the University of Texas, College of Medicine, Family Practice Residency Program in Houston. As the Faculty Attending in the residents’ Community Medicine rotation, Merchant and the residents worked with a large diversity of patients, including immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. It was an eye-opening experience for many of the residents.
The faculty members in Le Moyne’s Ed.D. program have been immensely supportive of his interest in studying leadership through an anthropological lens. Merchant states that “The faculty, program, and college have fostered a sense of community and collaboration that is not often seen at this level.”
Above all else, the team that Merchant leads at HWNY is committed to ensuring that all New Yorkers, particularly those who are poor, vulnerable, and live in rural communities, have the opportunity for a better life. While that can be hard to quantify, beginning with quality health care rooted in an understanding of an appreciation for our shared humanity is a good place from which to lead this effort.
