WellSpan Health canceled a mentorship event designed to introduce Black youth to medical careers, citing concerns about potential federal backlash over diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The Black Men in White Coats summit was set to take place at the end of May at the York College of Pennsylvania. The York, Pennsylvania-based system previously held the event in May 2024 and March 2023. Other healthcare organizations including Johns Hopkins Medicine, Summa Health and Kaiser Permanente have also held Black Men in White Coats mentorship events.
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"Given the regulatory environment around diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and risks to federal funding, we have decided to cancel this year's event," a WellSpan spokesperson said Friday. "Our commitment to healthcare career exploration for students remains strong. We are reimagining a new event for 2026 with even greater impact and will share details as soon as they are available."
The spokesperson declined to answer if the 2026 event will be DEI related.
WellSpan plans to roll out a new mentorship program next week at its York Hospital to introduce young students to careers in medicine, according to the Friday news release.
Other healthcare organizations have scaled back or eliminated DEI initiatives due to increased federal scrutiny following President Donald Trump's Executive Order 14173, which called for the elimination of DEI-related mandates, programs and guidance at organizations that receive federal funding.
