Illustrate Change Story: Chidiebere Ibe and Johnson & Johnson

Less than

5^%

of medical images
show dark skin.⁰¹

Only

8^%

of medical illustrators
identify as people of color.⁰²

Every

10^%

Increase in county-level Black primary care provider representation across the US was associated with 31-day higher life expectancy among Black individuals. ⁰³

ABOUT ILLUSTRATE CHANGE

The motivation behind building a growing library of diverse medical illustrations is the need to help provide an environment where patients are more seen and heard in their health experiences, feel safe in raising questions and concerns with their healthcare providers, and in which providers recognize and respect all cultures as they deliver care.

Illustrate Change is a movement of inspired artists, healthcare providers, and organizations that can make a difference in the way we think about and approach medical education, as well as healthcare as a whole.

Through our partnerships, the illustration library will grow to include an increasing number of descriptions, conditions, and disease states across healthcare specialties. We will aim to influence medical teaching tools and engage with medical educators to increase diverse representations in medical education and care delivery.

The Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI) is the premier association of professionals who create visual media to communicate concepts in medicine, healthcare, and the life sciences. The AMI recognizes the impact our visual communications have upon the people and institutions who use them. We are proud to collaborate on Illustrate Change and launch the AMI Diversity Fellowship to support 10 medical artists in the creation of 100 new medical illustrations representing communities of color.

The mission of the Deloitte Health Equity Institute (DHEI) is advancing health equity to make an impact that matters. To do it, we’re creating cross-sector collaborations and tools aimed at addressing disparities in the drivers of health, racism and bias, and structural flaws in the health system. Deloitte is proud to be a founding creative and strategic collaborator of Illustrate Change.

Johnson & Johnson has a bold ambition: that together, we can create a world where the color of your skin is not a determinant of your access to care, quality of care, or health outcomes. We are proud to present Illustrate Change in an effort to address racial health equity in medical education by increasing the diversity represented in medical illustrations.