Delta Air Lines caught a lot of heat this past fall when obstetrician and gynecologist Tamika Cross accused the carrier of "blatant discrimination" after the cabin crew on a flight from Detroit to Minneapolis refused to allow her to provide assistance during an in-flight medical emergency.
Cross, who is African-American and was without her credentials, called out the airline in a lengthy Facebook post in October.
In the two months since, Delta has apologized, invited Cross to come meet with executives and rolled out a new policy that doesn't require medical professionals to show credentials prior to assisting passengers.
The new policy went into effect Dec. 1, the airline announced Monday.
"When situations like the one described by Dr. Cross arise, we have a responsibility to our employees and our customers to review the circumstances and our policies for opportunities to listen, learn and improve," said Delta's senior vice president of in-flight service Allison Ausband in a statement this week. "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. We are grateful Dr. Cross came as it allowed us the opportunity to share some actions taken since the situation occurred."
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In her own statement, Cross said she was "pleased" with the airline's response.
"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," said Cross. "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."
Delta said that it found no legal or regulatory requirement for crew members to view medical professionals' credentials beforehand. Plus, the airline points out: some states don't issue wallet-version medical licenses, and few doctors and nurses actually carry physical copies with most being verified online.
"Our flight attendants were following standard procedure during this incident and the feedback Dr. Cross provided gave us a chance to make flying better," added Ausband. "We remain grateful to the medical professionals who are willing to assist us in an emergency at 30,000 feet."
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