The top editor of JAMA, a prominent medical journal, is stepping down following widely criticized comments by a colleague about racism in medicine on the publication’s podcast, the Chicago-based American Medical Association announced Tuesday.
Dr. Howard Bauchner will leave his post as editor-in-chief of JAMA and JAMA Network June 30. He had been on administrative leave while a review of a JAMA podcast and tweet about structural racism was conducted, the AMA said in a news release.
“I remain profoundly disappointed in myself for the lapses that led to the publishing of the tweet and podcast,” Bauchner said in the news release. “Although I did not write or even see the tweet, or create the podcast, as editor in chief, I am ultimately responsible for them.”
In February, Dr. Ed Livingston, a white, deputy JAMA editor, said during the podcast that structural racism no longer existed in the United States, according to the New York Times.
“Structural racism is an unfortunate term,” Livingston said, according to the New York Times. “Personally, I think taking racism out of the conversation will help. Many people like myself are offended by the implication that we are somehow racist.”
JAMA later promoted the podcast by tweeting, “No physician is racist, so how can there be structural racism in health care?”
The tweet and podcast have since been deleted. Where the podcast was previously posted, Bauchner issued an apology. “Comments made in the podcast were inaccurate, offensive, hurtful, and inconsistent with the standards of JAMA,” he said. “Racism and structural racism exist in the US and in health care.”
Bauchner asked for and received Livingston’s resignation after the episode.
As of Tuesday, more than 9,000 people had signed a change.org petition asking the AMA to review Bauchner’s leadership and restructure the editorial staff.
In a March statement, AMA CEO Dr. James Madara said comments made during the podcast and the tweet were inconsistent with the policies and views of the AMA. JAMA is editorially independent of the AMA.
He said in the AMA would fill a new associate editor role with someone with expertise in the topics of racism and structural racism in health care, among other changes.
JAMA Executive Editor Dr. Phil Fontanarosa will serve as interim editor-in-chief, and the AMA is forming a search committee to fill the post, the AMA said.
