Fans have strongly felt the absence of Heather Collins, with a countless number of viewers choosing not to watch the show’s second season without her there.

And yet, she has cruelly been ignored by the show’s narrative. Despite being a leader in PTMC’s ER and a top-billed character in season 1, she apparently is no longer worthy of the simplest of mentions. The erasure of Dr. Collins has felt especially egregious given the special care that the show’s executive producers proudly claimed they put into season 1 storylines regarding Black sickle cell patients and the Freedom House Ambulance Service. 

Heather’s character and relationships were an essential central component to the show’s dynamic. Without her, it feels disjointed and disconnected, lacking an emotional centerpiece. Heather’s roles as a leading physician in the department and Robby’s love interest have been replaced by two new characters in a manner that reinforces the attitude that women of color are not just replaceable, but interchangeable with one another.

This has all sent a very clear message from the showrunners: Black women and their stories do not matter. The only time they do matter is when they serve to further a white man’s story, but they are not worthy of being their narrative equals. 

According to reviewers, Dr. Collins has left Pittsburgh to be closer to family after adopting a baby, having previously suffered several miscarriages. This sends another pointed message to female physicians of color: your stories are only worth telling when you are sad and struggling - there’s no need for your happiness here. There is no valiant way for you to find a balance between your personal life, your wellbeing, and your duty as a physician.

Under the Trump regime, the very existences of marginalized people are being rapidly snuffed out before our eyes. Like countless times before, women of color are the ones suffering under this bigotry the most. To have a beloved Black female TV character be unceremoniously tossed aside just affirms this notion that their very existence is a burden to be rid of. For a show that boasts about its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and advocating for justice within our healthcare system, this feels like a jarring display of hypocrisy. 

What’s more, a troubling pattern has emerged regarding the treatment of women of color on this show. Not only are their narratives sidelined for their white male counterparts’, but their actresses have had their identities mistaken for one another’s in the media and had their bosses on the show fail to properly pronounce their names even after months of working together.

Send the message that Black women are not disposable and that their stories are important on their own merit. Give the Black women making up roughly 15% of the American healthcare workforce the respect they deserve in this so-called “love letter to healthcare workers” by bringing back Dr. Heather Collins (as played by Tracy Ifeachor).