Health Equity Town Hall

Welcome Remarks:

• Dr. David Cole, Medical University of South Carolina
• Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn (SC-6)
• Mayor Joseph Riley, Jr. Charleston, SC

Opening Remarks & Town Hall Discussion:

• CBC Health Braintrust Co-Chair, Congresswoman Robin Kelly
• CAPAC Health Co-Chair, Congresswoman Barbara Lee
• Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

Breakfast & Registration

Plenary Speaker, Dr. James E.K. Hildreth, Meharry Medical College

Panel I: Advancing the March Toward Health Equity: 114th Congress HEAA Legislation

Expert panelist will discuss the 114th Congress Health Equity and Accountability Act. HEAA provides a consensus blueprint of the most principled, comprehensive, and strategic plan to eliminate health disparities and improve the health of all communities. We believe that no one’s life expectancy should be determined by the color of their skin, or the zip code in which they are born. Presenters will discuss ways to advance HEAA’s wide spectrum strategy of racial, ethnic, ability, language, and gender health disparity elimination initiatives.

Panel 2: A Winning Offense: Battling Diseases

Expert panelists will discuss many diseases that disproportionately affect minority populations, with a focus on HIV/AIDS and Sickle Cell anemia. They will not only discuss the problem but several solutions, including advances in care and technology that help in both prevention and stopping the diseases.

LUNCH

Panel 3: Perspectives on Health, Healthcare and the Diversity Pipeline

Minorities in general account for less than 30% of the health and health care workforce. These numbers are staggering because the affect everything from patient care, hospital management and event testing in pharmaceutical studies. Expert panelists will discuss our current problem of the lack of diversity in medicine, ways to remedy it and finally why not only in health but in the bottom line it is so important.

Panel 4: Food for Thought-Closing the Nutrition Gap

In her contribution to the Kelly Report, Congresswoman Lujan Grisham argues that hunger affects more children, more often, and in a more profound way than most other consequences of poverty. Nearly 16 million American children face hunger, and most of the food they receive is not considered healthy; rather, their parents are more inclined to buy the most affordable food available. The lack of access to healthy food hurts a child’s development, including physical and mental health, academic achievement, and future economic prosperity. Here expert panelists will discuss ways to close the nutrition gap and ways the health and healthcare community can assist in providing education and healthy food options.

Community Health Clinic

As we work to educate the community on health care policy priorities, it is important to help assist with services to the community of Charleston to provide free access to basic health services that many residents desperately need. We welcome the opportunity to work with local health care partners here and in other underserved areas to provide services and health information that can help reach our goal to significantly reduce health disparities within a generation.