Delta Learns from Doctor Incident Aboard Aircraft
Joe Cortez December 26, 2016
Inadvertent viral moment aboard flight turns into culture-changing moment.
Taking a lesson from an embarrassing viral moment aboard a Delta Air Lines aircraft, the Atlanta-based carrier stated they will make key culture changes after receiving critical feedback from flyers. In a post on their website, Delta announced changes to their policy to reduce discrimination during flights.
The shift in policy comes after Dr. Tamika Cross was rebuked by a Delta flight attendant during a medical emergency aboard a flight. When she volunteered to help, a flight attendant allegedly told her “we are looking for actual physicians or nurses or some type of medical personnel,” followed by accepting the help of a white medical official.
After reviewing the incident, Delta announced they reached out to Dr. Cross over the phone to discuss the situation. In exchange, the doctor was able to speak with chief executive Ed Bastian and share the new policies directly with her.
“While Dr. Cross and I were able to discuss the situation over the phone, we also invited her to visit Delta so we could discuss her experience face-to-face and apologize for how that experience made her feel,” Allison Ausband, senior vice president of in-flight service at Delta, said in a statement. “We are grateful Dr. Cross came as it allowed us the opportunity to share some actions taken since the situation occurred.”
Since the October run-in, Delta changed their policy to accept medical help from any volunteer who self-identifies as a medical doctor, physician’s assistant, nurse, paramedic or EMT. The change also stems from the fact that many states no longer issue cards to accredited medical personnel, as many credentials can be verified online.
“Although this was an unfortunate encounter, I am pleased with the changes that have been made to Delta’s policies and training as a result,” Dr. Cross said in the statement. “It is reassuring to know that Delta has taken this matter very seriously and made the necessary adjustments to help physicians and other medical personnel, no matter who they may be, feel more comfortable offering medical assistance during in-flight emergencies.”
The airline will also offer inclusion training to their employees in 2017.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
You missed the point. Dr. Tamika Cross was "dissed" by the FA because she is African-American.
This is rather remarkable in its retro stupidity. I went to med school in the 70's and my school (Michigan State University) was a bit ahead of the times with about half the students women. According to Google, 33% of physicians were female in 2010. Today that number is likely approaching 40. That a FA in 2016 would think to question the likelihood of a female identifying herself as a physician is almost quaint.
No word on how the flight attendant was disciplined.