CONGRESSMAN ED TOWNS
10TH DISTRICT, NEW YORK
NEWS RELEASE
10TH DISTRICT, NEW YORK
NEWS RELEASE
| For Immediate Release | Contact: Ruth Morrison | ||
| March 5, 2006 | (202) 225-5936/202-441-6864 | ||
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CONGRESSMAN ED TOWNS SPONSORS HEALTH FAIR AND SUMMIT
ON HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES |
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Brooklyn, NY - March 5, 2006--Congressman Ed Towns (D-NY 10) in conjunction with the Multicultural Healthcare Education Foundation, Inc., is sponsoring a town hall meeting on healthcare disparities entitled, "Bridging Healthcare Disparities: Living Healthy and Living Well in the Black Community," at the Brooklyn Marriott, 333 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on Friday, March 10, 2006 at 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The conference is free to the public, but advance registration is required by calling (212) 824-3751 or, online at http://www.mhefoundation.org/cbc/register.htm. Registration will be on a first-come first-served basis. The conference's mission is to discuss the devastating effects of health disparities in Black communities and the hardships it brings to individuals and families when culturally competent healthcare services are not available.
Healthcare professionals from across the healthcare spectrum will be on hand to discuss solutions that would bridge the gap in health disparities; enhance patient/doctor relationships and improve health outcomes and the quality of life within Black communities. Additionally, the summit will review the current treatment approaches that are culturally relevant in Black communities.
"Given today's statistics on the cost of healthcare and the lack of access to quality healthcare in the black community, this forum could not be more timely," stated Congressman Towns. "African Americans lag behind on nearly every health indicator, including healthcare coverage, access to care, life expectancy and disease rates. A significant part of our empowerment strategy is the recognition of the severe health disparities, which continue to exist for racial and ethnic minorities. This healthcare summit provides a unique opportunity not only for healthcare workers to discuss how best to provide healthcare services to their patients, but also to empower them t! o reduce healthcare disparities and to improve health outcomes."
Some of the topics that the panels will focus on include: Addressing the Healthcare Divide: Translating Research on Health Disparities to Practice; The Realities of the Medicare Part D Program; and Voices from the Field: Empowering Community Based Organizations in Addressing Health Disparities.
Health screenings will be provided to the general public during the community health fair from 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. The screenings include: HIV, blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, and glaucoma testing; nutrition assessments; cancer screenings; and Lupus assessments.
The conference chairs, honorary delegates and speakers are:
Conference Chairs:
Honorable Congressman Edolphus "Ed" Towns
Honorable Congresswoman Dr. Donna M. Christensen-Christensen
Honorary Delegates:
Congressman Major R. Owens
Congressman Gregory W. Meeks
Congressman Mel Watt
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz
Deputy Borough President Yvonne Graham
Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH
Co-Chairs: Luther T. Clark, MD, FACC
Chief of Cardiology
Principal Investigator - Brooklyn Center for Health Disparities
Yvonne Graham, BSN, RN, MPH
Deputy Brooklyn Borough President
Co-Director - Brooklyn Center for Health Disparities
Speakers: Sarita Dhupta, MD
Director of Pediatric Cardiology
Brookdale Hospital
Elsbeth Kalenderian, DDS, MPH
Senior Vice President, Health Integration
American Heart Association
Jose R Rodriguez-Diaz, MD
Founder & CEO
The Multicultural Healthcare Education Foundation, Inc
Carol Croney, MD
Director of Infectious Diseases
Brookdale Hospital
Monica Sweeney, MD
Vice President of Medical Affairs
Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Care Center
Kate Anastasia, MPA
Director of Programs
SLE Lupus Foundation
Ellen Ginzler, MD, MPH
SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Helaine Baruch
American Heart Association
Randi Baker
Community Resource Coordinator
The Brooklyn AIDS Task Force
Bill Drews, Esq
Attorney at Law
V. Hunter
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Michelle Kitchman Strollo, MHS - Invited Luncheon Plenary Speaker
Principal Policy Analyst
Kaiser Family Foundation
Betty Duggan - Invited Luncheon Plenary Speaker
Director of Training/Community Programs
Medicare Rights Center
Doug Lazzaro, MD
Chief of Ophthalmology
SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Adam Karpati, MD, MPH
Assistant Commissioner
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Tamara Ehlin
Director of Community Health initiatives at ACS
American Cancer Society at Downstate
Fatima Sharma
Greater Southern Brooklyn Health Association at CAMBA
Additional sponsors of the health summit, Bridging Healthcare Disparities: Living Healthy and Living Well in the Black Community are:
Friends Sponsors:
SUNY Downstate Medical Center - Brooklyn Center for Health Disparities
Brooklyn Borough President's Office
SLE Lupus Foundation
American Heart Association
American Diabetes Association
Friends of the Congressional Glaucoma Caucus Foundation
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health
Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center
Brooklyn AIDS Task Force
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