Dr. Tony McHerron is a pediatrician with Community Health Network, dedicated to providing compassionate care for children while working to inspire diversity in the medical field.
As one of the few Black pediatricians in the area, McHerron is passionate about encouraging Black and brown children to pursue medical careers. In this interview with the Indianapolis Recorder, he shares his journey into pediatrics, the importance of representation in health care and his message to young people who aspire to make a difference in their communities.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Hanna Rauworth: Tell me about your journey into pediatrics and the challenges you faced along the way.
Dr. Tony McHerron: Growing up on the south side of Chicago, my family faced many challenges. When I was roughly 6, I witnessed my older brother suffer a severe traumatic brain injury while playing at the park across the street from our apartment. His recovery was very long because he had to learn to walk, talk, eat and speak all over again. We had many visits where we saw him in the hospital and then subsequently for his physical therapy. That’s when I first became fascinated with the human brain and the body and how it all worked together in tandem. One of the other things that I could remember at that age is that I also remember thinking to myself that none of the doctors that are taking care of my brother looked like us.
Rauworth: How do you work to improve the health of Hoosier children, and why is pediatrics so important to you?
McHerron: It’s super important for pediatricians to kind of get the full picture of our patients because we are seeing them from the time that they’re born all the way up to the time that they’re 18 and transitioning into adulthood. I know there’s a lot of misinformation going around with the current political climate, but it’s very important for us pediatricians to stress the importance of vaccines and why they’re necessary, and what good they do in terms of preventing preventable diseases. Having those conversations on a daily basis with parents and just educating parents is probably 80% of what I do.
Rauworth: Can you tell me a little bit about the Black Men in White Coats Event and your involvement?
McHerron: So basically (Black Men in White Coats is) going out into the communities, putting on events where you’re exposing young children of color to the field of medicine and different avenues but then also setting them up for a mentorship program where they can touch base with physicians of color. It’s really expanded throughout the year. So, when I heard that the community was going to be having its first inaugural Black Men in White Coats event three years ago, I was excited.
Rauworth: Why do you think it’s important for Black and brown kids to be involved in the medical field?
McHerron: We need (students) to come up through the ranks to replace us when we get old and retire because we’re always going to have a workforce to take care of others, and I think it’s super important to make sure that we’re keeping the workplace diverse.
Rauworth: What advice would you offer to Black and Brown kids who want to go into medicine but don’t feel they have the chance?
McHerron: My motto is to surround myself by people smarter than me … I’ve definitely had many mentors throughout the years that have when I was at my lowest low and telling myself I was not going to make it through this, kind of pulled me up and said, ‘No, you’re going to do this’ or to get through this. I think it’s just having a good support system and having others that believe in them and that can make things happen.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
