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Dr. Erycka Webb
With February being Black History Month, Kaiser Permanente Southern California internal medicine and adult primary care physician Dr. Erycka Webb reflects on the many challenges Black youth, men and women often face in life.
Growing up in Gardena, Dr. Webb recalls not being afforded the same opportunities as many others. “I had to learn through trial and error – dealing with racism, not being expected to exceed expectations, not being encouraged to reach for the stars. I was expected to just get a job to pay the bills. No one expected a Black child to overcome those hurdles.”
But she did!
Dr. Webb refused to be defeated or accept that she couldn’t achieve a greater goal in life. But it wasn’t easy. “I had to be better,” she recalls. “I had no room for mistakes. I had to be better than my counterparts who weren’t Black. I also had to overcome being a Black woman. It was really hard, but it taught me tenacity and it taught me perseverance.”
Today, Dr. Webb is a graduate of Creighton University where she received a master’s degree in public health and received her medical degree from Saba University School of Medicine. The first person in her family and among her close friends to graduate from college and finish medical school, Dr. Webb has taken the experiences and challenges she’s faced and applied them in a positive way in how she delivers care to her patients, many of whom are Black.
“Staying true to myself as a Black woman from L.A. really opens up the relationship with my patients, because they see that I come from a similar background and understand the barriers they’re facing,” she explained.
“Patients feel free to be themselves with me,” she continued. “That matters because Black culture has very unique ways of communicating. Since I speak that shared language, I can help my patients translate what they’re trying to describe into a medically appropriate way, allowing them to get the care they truly need. That relationship also makes it easier for them to trust the care plan I recommend.”
Dr. Webb, who practices at Kaiser Permanente Gardena Medical Offices, also understands there are unique issues minority communities face in achieving total health.
“Access doesn’t look the same for everybody; what we assume is easily accessible may not be to various parts of the minority community,” she explained. “One example is sending a Black patient to a nutritionist for dietary recommendations. If the recommendations don’t consider the cultural foods that are important to the Black community, it makes it harder for the patient to access and follow that care plan. That’s why a culturally responsive approach to care is so impactful. When we understand a community fully, we can reduce barriers to care.”
Dr. Webb said being true to herself and her roots has been very rewarding.
“I’m so proud to be a voice for my community,” she said. “At first, I was worried that they may not see past my white coat to view me as an advocate. But I’ve been able to build bridges by staying true to myself and where I’m from. Establishing those relationships with patients in my community has been especially gratifying.”
As for her message to the Black community, especially Black youth who may feel frustrated by the many challenges they’re facing in life, Dr. Webb noted:
“Don’t allow people to put you in a box. Don’t allow people to tell you who you are. Remember who you are and what you’re capable of, and no matter how hard it may seem, strive for your goals because you can do it,” she said.
“There are a lot of challenges you will face in life. As members of the Black community, we have a very long way to go, and it’s up to us to put our foot forward and try to prevent the redoing of our history.”
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