“2024 - Advancing Health Equity: Policy and Innovation”

Thursday, May 9^th
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

(Registration Required)

SYMPOSIUM SYNOPSIS

Of all the advances aimed at closing the health inequity gap, the most promising are upstream policies and innovations.  This year, our annual symposium will examine the policies that govern the social determinants of health and the innovations that facilitate the advancement of health equity.  According to the American Public Health Association, to achieve health equity, ‘Obstacles to health must be removed such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, such as powerlessness, and lack of access to quality education.’1

Health equity trailblazing advocates will share their insights, experiences, and achievements within the realm of policy and innovations that advance health equity and remove obstacles to health. Upstream change begins with policy, policymakers, community stakeholders, and innovators. Where have we gained ground?  What are the opportunities to advance health equity in the future? Will the promises of AI be the ‘secret sauce’ that eradicates barriers to health equity for far too many rural, urban, low-resourced, un- and under-insured persons?

We will engage a round table of expert speakers and dialogue with audience participants to answer these and other questions in the continued quest to advance health equity. Our speakers are nationally acclaimed workers whose aim is to make the people of our communities more powerful, and their lives more equitable in all aspects of where they live, work, play, and pray! 

Learning objectives - Participants will:

1. Describe the impact of policy in eliminating poverty and discrimination.
2. Understand the role of policy that drives innovations.
3. Understand how to effect policy change in all aspect of their work.
4. Examine a case study: reproductive health-impact of policy and innovation.

Speakers:

• Mary E. Fleming, MD, MPH, FACOG, Co-Founder & SVP Health Equity Accountability at Cayaba Care and Executive Director, Harvard Executive Leadership Institute., President, Reede Scholars Inc.
• Caswell Evans, DDS, MPH, Emeritus Professor & Associate Dean for Prevention and Public Health Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Dentistry.
• Kimberly Chang, MD, MPH, Speaker of the House, Asian Health Services, Reede Scholar, Inc.
• Kaz Rafia, DDS, MBA, MPH, Chief Health Equity Officer, Exec. Vice President, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.
• Ariana McGee, Founder & CEO, Navigate Maternity

AGENDA

1:30 pm                                   

Welcome & Introductions

Moderator - Mary E. Fleming, MD, MPH, FACOG

President, Reede Scholars, Inc.

1:45 pm                                   

"Unlocking the Power of Policy: A Catalyst for Effective Change"

Caswell Evans, DDS, MPH

“Harnessing the power of innovation to advance health equity”

Kaz Rafia, DDS, MBA, MPH

"The convergence of policies and technological advancements in reproductive health to promote health equity."

Ariana McGee

2:40 pm – 3:10 pm                   

Conversation/Q&A                                                       

Audience participants

3:10 pm – 3:20 pm                   

Commentator - Kim Chang, MD, MPH, Reede Scholars,

Inc.

3:20 pm                                   

Vision Award Presentation                                                            President Fleming

3:30 pm                                   

Reede Scholars annual family photo             

Jeffrey Thiebauth, Photographer

 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Reception & Networking to Follow