COVID-19 Health Disparities, Cardiovascular Disease, and Communities of Color
Webinar: COVID-19 Health Disparities, Cardiovascular Disease, and Communities of Color
Originally recorded August 19, 2020 | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CT
ABOUT
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. 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. Moreover, certain parts of the country are seeing Latinx Americans dying at a higher rate. COVID-19 health disparities are driven in large part to highly-prevalent, chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions, and diabetes, that disproportionately impact communities of color. Regardless of race, over eighty-six million Americans live with some form of cardiovascular disease, but African American adults have a fifty percent chance of living with CVD or after-effects of stroke. It is also estimated that cardiovascular disease contributes to nearly forty percent of the life expectancy difference between Blacks and Whites, which amounts to 3.4 years. According to the Kelly Report, African Americans have the highest rate of high blood pressure globally, and Blacks have significantly higher obesity rates than Whites, which increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other health problems. In addition, disparities exist in the quality of care. Patients of color are less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to receive referrals for cardiac rehabilitation, a medically supervised program that has proven to lower mortality rates and prevent second cardiac events. Moreover, According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, killing 299,578 women in 2017—or about 1 in every 5 female deaths. This webinar brings together leading experts in cardiovascular and neurological care to discuss systemic inequities and social determinants of health that make communities of color more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and sequelae from both of these conditions as well as best practices to address these disparities.
Distinguished Webinar Leaders
Key Statistics and Infographics
Webinar Leaders
Dr. Neelum Aggarwal, MD
CHI Board of Directors
Associate Professor, Departments of Neurological Sciences/Rush Alzheimer’s Diseases Center
Research Director, Rush Heart Center for Women, Rush Medical College
Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)
Mr. Joseph Gaspero
CEO & Co-Founder of the Center for Healthcare Innovation
Dr. Annabelle Santos Volgman, MD, FACC, FAHA
McMullan-Eybel Endowed Chair for Excellence in Clinical Cardiology
Professor of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Medical College
Medical Director, Rush Heart Center for Women
Governor- Elect, Illinois American College of Cardiology
Co-Promotion Partner
Joseph Gaspero is the CEO and Co-Founder of CHI. He is a healthcare executive, strategist, and researcher. He co-founded CHI in 2009 to be an independent, objective, and interdisciplinary research and education institute for healthcare. Joseph leads CHI’s research and education initiatives focusing on including patient-driven healthcare, patient engagement, clinical trials, drug pricing, and other pressing healthcare issues. He sets and executes CHI’s strategy, devises marketing tactics, leads fundraising efforts, and manages CHI’s Management team. Joseph is passionate and committed to making healthcare and our world a better place. 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, and deriving expertise from time spent in industries such as healthcare, financial services, and marketing. Joseph’s skills include strategy, management, entrepreneurship, healthcare, clinical trials, diversity & inclusion, life sciences, research, marketing, and finance. He has lived in six countries, traveled to over 30 more, and speaks 3 languages, all which help him view business strategy through the prism of a global, interconnected 21st century. 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.