Hennepin Health accused of 'deeply rooted' racism following blackface, 'excited delirium' incidents

A Minneapolis-based integrated health system operated by a subsidiary of Minnesota’s Hennepin County is under fire this week over incidents a board member and county commissioner said demonstrate “deeply rooted” racism and warrant new leadership.

Wednesday, the Star Tribune reported on photos that featured white Hennepin Healthcare employees wearing costumes that included blackface makeup. According to the report, the photos were not dated but had been forwarded to Hennepin Healthcare leadership two weeks prior by an employee.

This came about a month after separate reports that a Hennepin Health doctor had trained the city’s police on “excited delirium,” a term condemned by the American Medical Association as a false diagnosis often used as justification for excessive force by law enforcement.

That incident led the system to publicly announce a pledge stating it would address systemic racism within the organization and, subsequently, prompted the employee to flag the photographs for the safety net hospital’s leadership.

Anonymous employees who spoke to the Tribune characterized the resurfaced photos as a test of leadership’s promises on systemic racism—and considered inaction after two weeks as an answer to their questions.

In response to the reports, Irene Fernando, a Hennepin County commissioner as well as a board member of the hospital, released a statement Wednesday calling for the employees in the photos to be fired and supervisors aware of the photos to be disciplined and removed from leadership roles.

“Regardless of when the photos were taken, the conduct of these employees is abhorrent,” she said in the statement. “Dressing in blackface and treating race, ethnicity, or culture as a costume is degrading, extremely racist, and cannot be tolerated.”

Fernando said that it was “appalling that no one has faced consequences” in the weeks since management was made aware of the photos. Her statement also called for similar repercussions for the doctor who conducted excited delirium training and leaders who were aware of it.

“These incidents are not isolated—they each fit into a long series of racist incidents and practices by Hennepin Healthcare employees and leadership,” she said. “It is clear that racism is deeply rooted within the organization and must be addressed directly through systemic changes in both the policy and leadership of Hennepin Healthcare.”

Hennepin Healthcare CEO Jennifer DeCubellis said she has “taken action” against two white employees who allegedly appear in the photo wearing blackface makeup, MPRNews, a public radio network for the state of Minnesota, reported late Thursday. 

The photos were similarly condemned in a letter authored by 11 of the system’s doctors as well as in a statement from the union that represented the photographed employees.

Hennepin Healthcare is operated by Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc., a subsidiary corporation of Hennepin County. The integrated system includes a 484-bed academic medical center (Hennepin County Medical Center), a Level 1 adult and pediatric trauma center, several clinics, an outpatient specialty center and the EMS service under which the photographed individuals were employed.

Hennepin Healthcare saw nearly 19,000 discharges, over 660,000 clinic visits and an average daily hospital census of 351 patients in 2021, according to its website.

The organization said in a statement published Wednesday that it is “aware of the existence” of the photos but is unable to comment on specifics “due to an ongoing review.”

The organization said it is taking the situation “very seriously and our next steps will be determined by any findings. We acknowledge the harm and apologize for the impact to our community and our teams.”

Speaking to the Tribune, DeCubellis acknowledged the delayed response as “fair” criticism and agreed that “there is absolutely racism in our walls.”