COVID-19 Health Disparities, Diabetes, and Communities of Color
Wednesday, July 22, 2020 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST
About the webinar
As the global COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the world, alarming health inequities have emerged. Recently released data from the non-partisan APM Research Lab indicate that African Americans are dying from COVID-19 at almost three times the rate of white Americans. The figures indicate that African Americans have died at a rate of 50.3 per 100,000 people, compared with 20.7 for whites. And certain parts of the country are seeing Latino Americans dying at a higher rate. In New York alone, Latinos comprise 19.2% of the population but have suffered 26.6% of deaths. Furthermore, COVID-19 health disparities are driven in large part to highly-prevalent, chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, that disproportionately impact communities of color. According to the American Diabetes Association, the rates of diabetes for African American and Hispanic adults are 11.7% and 12.5% respectively, compared to just 7.5% for whites. This webinar brings together leading diabetes experts to discuss systemic inequities and social determinants of health that make communities of color more susceptible to diabetes, as well as best practices to addresses these disparities.
Distinguished Opening Remarks
Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL)
Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform
Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust
Congresswoman Robin Kelly has dedicated her career to public service as an advocate for Illinois families. Since being elected to serve the 2nd Congressional District in 2013, she has worked to expand economic opportunity, community wellness, and public safety across the state, championing numerous initiatives to generate job growth, reduce health disparities, and end gun violence.
Congresswoman Kelly is a Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee (the main policy-writing body of the House) and serves on the Health, Energy, and Consumer Protection and Commerce subcommittees. Her Energy and Commerce work is focused on expanding access to healthcare, consumer protection for American families and economic development.
Additionally, she is a Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and serves on the national security and civil rights and civil liberties subcommittees. She is also represents the Midwest (Region IV) on the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which sets the policy direction of the Democratic Caucus, and serves as a member of the House Democracy Partnership.
Committed to improving the health and wellness of vulnerable communities across the country, the Congresswoman serves as the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, and Co-Chairs the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls. She also Co-Chairs the House Democratic Policy Group and House Tech Accountability Caucus.
Webinar Moderator
Simintha Esson, MA
CHI Board of Directors
Nonprofit Strategist
Chief Development Officer (CDO) at Council of Chief State School
Simintha Esson is the Chief Development Officer (CDO) at the Council of Chief State School Officers. In her current role, she is responsible for developing and leading the organization’s strategic fundraising plan, along with managing a team of seasoned professionals. Ms. Esson is a dynamic fundraising executive with demonstrated success in business development, sales, and strategy. She has an extraordinary record of building new product lines and creating robust multiple channel fundraising campaigns. Previously, she was the Chief Development Officer at the Infectious Disease Society of America. She’s also held leadership roles at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the American Diabetes Association. Ms. Esson has been a member of the Chicago Executives Club and is the former Vice President of the Auxiliary Board for UCAN Chicago. Ms. Esson has an MA in Social Justice and a BS from Loyola University.
Webinar Panelists
Dr. Benée Brown, PharmD
CHI Board of Directors
Associate Director, Medical Science Liaison at Boehringer Ingelheim
Dr. Benée Brown, PharmD, is the Senior Medical Liaison Associate Director at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. situated in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Dr. Brown was also the Senior Medical Liaison at Sanofi. She is a graduate of the University of Texas and the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio with experience in hospital, ambulatory care, managed care, and prescription benefit management (PBM) settings. Prior to her Diabetes Medical Liaison role with Sanofi, she served as a Women’s Health Medical Science Liaison with Eli Lilly. This was followed by serving as a Formulary Pharmacist for the second largest Prescription Benefit Management (PBM) Company in the U.S., with responsibility for more than 8 million covered lives. As a PBM pharmacist for the Caremark/CVS National Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee, Benée carefully conducted clinical reviews, pharmacoeconomic evaluations and provided evidence-based recommendations for various categories and classes of Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved prescription drugs evaluation by the National Caremark/CVS P&T Committee.
Benée joined Sanofi in 2005 as a U.S. Medical Affairs Diabetes Medical Liaison in Chicago, IL and Austin, Texas in 2015. She serves as a respected leader and regional partner through the provision of evidence-based solutions in the form of diabetes-related education, support of diabetes-related clinical research and provision of unsolicited medical information. In addition, Benée works in establishing new and strengthening existing relationships with key diabetes thought-leaders, private and public organizations, and institutions. Benée has also successfully led initiatives and projects related to innovation, organizational strategy, diversity & inclusion, and the advancement of improved operational processes.
Since 2012, Benée has also served as an adjunct clinical professor at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy. Benée is an avid runner, biker, swimmer, reader and traveler. She enjoys sharing her active lifestyle with her wonderful family which includes her husband, daughter and son.
Sheila Harmon, MSN
Board Member of the Chicago Chapter of the American Diabetes Association
As the Director of Provider Practice of the University of Illinois Mile Square Office of Community Engagement & Neighborhood Health Partnerships (OCEAN-HP) School Based Health Centers, Sheila Harmon oversees five of Mile Square's school-based health centers. She has been a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) since 2005. Her passion to educate and help people with diabetes prompted her to contribute to the Improving Diabetes Care and Outcomes on the South Side of Chicago project where she helps to raise awareness, reduce widely documented disparities about diabetes, and empower the South Side of Chicago to use knowledge, collaborators and resources to battle diabetes. She also serves as a Community Board Member of the Chicago Chapter of the American Diabetes Association and a media relations spokesperson for the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE). Harmon earned a bachelor's degree in Nursing from Chicago State University in 1988. She earned her master's degree from Governors State University in Nursing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in 2007 and as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2013. She worked for the University of Chicago Medical Center from 1998 to 2008 as a Nurse Manager, Diabetes Research Nurse and Diabetes Educator. In 2009, she joined ACCESS Community Health Network and served as a Regional Operations Manager. She continues a partnership there as a Diabetes Consultant/Educator. Harmon has worked through the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System Mile Square OCEAN-HP since 2014.
Sponsor
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