Answering the Challenge: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a Key to Professionalism

We read with interest the recent commentary titled “Discriminatory and Sexually Inappropriate Remarks from Patients and Their Challenge to Professionalism” by Alfandre and Geppert.1 We agree that “the profession should undoubtedly maintain a strong moral commitment to effectively address discrimination,” but we think it is important to consider the authors’ suggestion that addressing discrimination toward health care professionals comes at “[t]he expense of the primary commitment to care for patients.” Ideally, professionalism should encompass not only the physician’s responsibility to patients, but also the reciprocity of the patient–physician relationship and the responsibility of institutional leadership to its physicians.