Do No Harm v. Eddings

Why this Matters

The plaintiff alleges that a scholarship offered by an Arkansas state agency to promote health equity and increase diversity in the health care workforce violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Racial and ethnic diversity in the health care profession has been associated with better patient care and improved health care outcomes.

Potential Impact

Limiting policymakers’ ability to consider race in formulating policies related to health care workforce could continue to hamper efforts to diversify such workforce, ultimately negatively impacting patient care and public health, especially for racial and ethnic minorities.