Antisemitism is on the rise in the American healthcare sector, with academic medical centers emerging as the primary setting for such discrimination, according to a peer-reviewed study from StandWithUs's Data and Analytics Department that was published on Monday.

The study is the first of its kind to analyze the prevalence of antisemitism within healthcare workplace environments. According to the findings, 62.8% of respondents who reported experiencing antisemitism were employed at academic medical centers - a statistically significant contrast to 25.2% in private practice and only 7.4% in community hospitals.

"Academia today is increasingly cultivating an environment which hostile to Jews, as well as members of other religious and ethnic groups," said Dr. Alexandra Fishman, Director of Data and Analytics at StandWithUs and lead author of the study. "For doctors - whose ability to practice with integrity, compassion, and fairness is paramount - such an atmosphere poses a direct threat to the quality of healthcare and the well-being of both practitioners and patients."

Dr. Fishman warned that this environment directly threatens both the quality of healthcare and the well-being of Jewish practitioner and their patients.

Another key finding pointed to a strong correlation between awareness of antisemitism and workplace culture. Only 35.5% of those who experienced antisemitism believed their colleagues could recognize it, in contrast to 54.5% of those who did not experience antisemitism.

Study: Healthcare uniforms washed at home may spread superbugs. (credit: Gorodenkoff. Via Shutterstock)
Study: Healthcare uniforms washed at home may spread superbugs. (credit: Gorodenkoff. Via Shutterstock)
"When administrators and colleagues understand what antisemitism looks like, it clearly correlates with less antisemitism in the workplace," said Dr. Charles Auerbach, Professor at Yeshiva University and expert consultant for the study. "Recognition is a powerful tool - institutions that foster awareness create safer, more inclusive environments for everyone."

Survey methodology

The survey, conducted between April 11 and May 15, 2024 collected responses from 645 Jewish Healthcare professionals - a 30% response rate from 2,136 participants. Respondents were recruited through Jewish medical networks including AJMA, JPN, JOWMA, and Orthodocs. Among them, 74% were physicians, and 52% worked in academic hospitals.

The analysis builds on prior research by StandWithUs's previously published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The study received IRB exemption and applied advanced analytics to assess the data.

The key findings show that academic healthcare environment pose the highest risk for antisemitic incidents. Awareness and recognition of antisemitism within the workplace significant affect the safety and well-being of Jewish professionals.

In light of the findings, the study calls on institutions to adopt targeted anti-bias initiatives that explicitly address antisemitism.

“Jewish healthcare professionals deserve to work in environments where their dignity is respected and their safety is treated as a non-negotiable,” Dr. Fishman concluded. “This study serves as a wake-up call to administrators and leaders of universities, teaching hospitals, and healthcare systems: antisemitism can no longer be treated as an afterthought.”