Webinar: African American End-Stage Renal Disease Health Disparities
Tuesday, February 16, 2021 | 1:00 PM - 2:00PM CST
About the webinar
While health inequities for marginalized communities are not new by any means, the global COVID-19 pandemic has thrust health disparities and systemic health inequities to the forefront of the national health conversation. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is one of the more alarming examples of racial health disparities in the nation. In 2016, nearly 125,000 people in the United States started treatment for ESRD, but more than 35% of all patients receiving dialysis treatment were African American. Moreover, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African Americans are three times more likely to develop the disease. These differences in health outcomes are linked to a variety of clinical, socioeconomic, and cultural factors facing African-Americans. For example, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in the U.S., and African-Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than their white counterparts. Early research has indicated that those with diabetes are at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19, which has been proven to cause kidney damage in up to 30% of hospitalized patients in China and New York. As we continue to obtain data, it is essential to investigate the biological and sociological factors that exacerbate these health disparities in black communities. This webinar brings together leading clinical experts to discuss systemic inequities and social determinants of health that make communities of color more susceptible to kidney disease, as well as best practices to addresses these disparities.
Webinar Panelists
Ms. LaVarne Burton, MS
President & Chief Executive Officer at American Kidney Fund
LaVarne Addison Burton is President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Kidney Fund (AKF), a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to fight kidney disease and help people live healthier lives. Ms. Burton has led AKF since 2005. As the number of Americans living with kidney disease has grown to 37 million, so has the need increased for the programs and services of the American Kidney Fund. Through its diverse and wide-reaching programs, AKF supports people no matter where they are in the fight against kidney disease—from education and prevention through treatment and transplant. No other kidney organization touches as many lives directly as AKF. In 2018, AKF helped 87,000 low-income dialysis and transplant patients nationwide access health care through treatment-related grant assistance. Millions of people benefit annually from AKF’s efforts to fight kidney disease through Know Your Kidneys, AKF’s nationwide health education and prevention outreach program. For 30 years, AKF’s Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Program has contributed to the pipeline of the most promising clinical researchers who have become leaders in the field of nephrology. AKF advocates on behalf of people with kidney disease and provides a platform to help ensure that patients are enabled tell their own stories and have their voices heard. Through its peer-to-peer KidneyNation platform, AKF engages patients, their loved ones and caregivers in funding the fight against kidney disease. The American Kidney Fund has significantly enhanced its programs and services during Ms. Burton’s tenure. Her leadership has propelled the organization to many notable milestones, including the growth of AKF’s free kidney disease screening program into the nation’s largest; development of award-winning public awareness media campaigns; tripling of patient financial assistance to ensure access to care; establishment of a nationwide AKF Advocacy Network that has grown to more than 10,000 Ambassadors; and the launch of the renal community’s only national annual gala, The Hope Affair, which honors patients and advocates. AKF is included in the Consumer Reports list of “Best Charities for Your Donations” and has received Charity Navigator’s highest, 4-star rating for the 18th consecutive year—one of only four nonprofits nationwide to achieve that distinction. Ms. Burton served as Executive Secretary to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she managed policy development and regulations and was advisor to the Secretary of the federal government’s largest domestic agency. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget Policy at HHS and as Senior Analyst to the Budget Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, advising the Committee on funding policy and legislative positions for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other health programs. Ms. Burton is a member and Past Chair of the National Health Council (NHC) Board of Directors. The NHC is the only organization of its kind that brings together all segments of the health community to provide a united voice for the more than 133 million people with chronic diseases and disabilities and their family caregivers. She also serves or has served on a number of other boards, including Kidney Care Partners; Advisory Council for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as well as the NIH Council of Councils. She was a Founder and Board Member of Women in the Health Care Industry Foundation and was named by The Wall Street Journal to be among a select group of 100 women chosen nationwide to be members of The Journal’s Executive Taskforce on Women in the Economy. Ms. Burton was born in Augusta, Georgia and attended public schools there. She received her bachelor’s degree from Howard University and master’s degree from George Washington University, both in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Deidra Candice Crews, MD
Associate Vice Chair for Diversity and Inclusion, Department of Medicine
Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Dr. Crews is a board-certified nephrologist. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and is Associate Vice Chair for Diversity and Inclusion in the Department of Medicine. She holds faculty appointments with the School of Nursing, the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, the Center on Aging and Health, and the Center for Health Equity, where she is Associate Director for Research Development. Her core area of research addresses disparities in the care and outcomes of chronic kidney disease. She has examined the contribution of social determinants of health, including poverty and access to healthful foods, to disparities in kidney disease. Her work in end-stage renal disease includes studies of the optimal timing and setting of dialysis initiation among vulnerable groups, and patient preparation for the start of renal replacement therapy.
She is founding director of the Doctoral Diversity Program, which is a research-intensive post-baccalaureate program of the Johns Hopkins Initiative for Careers in Science and Medicine.
Among her national leadership roles, Dr. Crews currently serves as Chair of the American Society of Nephrology Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is a member of the Nephrology Board of the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Moderator: Mr. Joseph Gaspero
CEO and Co-Founder of Center for Healthcare Innovation
Joseph Gaspero is the CEO and Co-Founder of CHI. He is a healthcare executive, strategist, and health disparity researcher. He founded CHI in 2009 as an independent, objective, and interdisciplinary research and education institute for reducing health disparities for marginalized communities of color. Joseph leads research and educational initiatives at CHI, including research focused on increasing diversity in clinical trials, building diverse, culturally competent teams, understanding how social determinants of health drive health disparities for BIPOC communities, decreasing medical mistrust, and understanding how chronic conditions disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities. He has been the lead organizer for one of the country’s preeminent health equity and diversity symposia in the U.S. In his role as CEO, he sets and executes CHI’s strategy, devises marketing tactics, leads fundraising efforts, and manages CHI’s Management team. His leadership stems from a wide array of experiences, including founding and operating several non-profit and for-profit organizations, serving in the U.S. Air Force in support of 2 foreign wars. Joseph’s skills include strategy, management, research, marketing, and finance. He has lived in six countries, traveled to over 40 more, and speaks three languages, and he brings a global approach to strategy and problem-solving. Joseph has a B.S. in Finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago. When he’s not immersed in his work at CHI, he spends his time snowboarding backcountry, skydiving, mountain biking, volunteering, engaging in MMA, and rock climbing.
Mrs. Wanda J. Harris, CMPE, MPA
President and CEO of OptumCare Colorado, a part of United Healthcare Group
Wanda Harris is a health care executive with over 22 years’ experience. As a national executive and business leader who drives strategic vision, fosters long-term sustainability, and establishes fiscally and operationally sound organizations within the health care landscape, she has worked with health care organizations like HCA (Hospital Corporation of America) and DaVita Healthcare Partners. Wanda has worked with Southwest Kidney Institute, Global Nephrology Solutions and Renal Care Organization, where she established several platforms to respond to the adversity our Nephrologists are facing.
Wanda earned a master’s degree in Public Administration emphasizing Healthcare Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of Missouri.
She is CMPE-certified with MGMA. She has served on the Board of Directors to include sitting on the Personnel and Compensation Committee for Denver Health. Denver Health is an integrated healthcare system that is Colorado’s premier safety-net health care system. Wanda holds several advisory positions within the health care landscape and children-focused foundations.
Dr. Charlotte Jones-Burton, MD, MS
Vice President at Otsuka
Dr. Charlotte Jones-Burton, an entrepreneurial pharmaceutical executive, has brought innovation and passion to her diverse roles within the healthcare industry over the last 20+ years as clinical development leader, internal medicine and nephrology physician, academician and change agent. In a top biopharmaceutical company, Dr. Jones-Burton leads cross-functional teams to design, implement, and oversee clinical trial studies for innovative medicines. She has also achieved a high level of success as an entrepreneur in direct sales and franchise industries. Dr. Jones-Burton excels in building and empowering diverse teams that deliver business results and has received numerous awards, including the new business developer award which was awarded to one of her teams.
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