The National Medical Association Tackles Health Inequities at Professional Development Series
Black Physician Experts and Health Care Leaders Share Thoughtful Insights on Black Health
(WASHINGTON D.C. – Sept. 11, 2024) The National Medical Association (NMA) brought together medical students and faculty, current and retired physicians, as well as experts and advocates in the field of health care for its Professional Development Series (PDS), an event established to inform attendees of insightful statistics and data regarding Black health disparities. This year’s PDS focused on key public health issues including diversifying clinical trials, the Black maternal health crisis, this year’s presidential election, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer disproportionately affecting Black lives in the U.S. The event was held during the week of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Leadership Conference.
U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill. gave an impactful speech, discussing the importance of receiving the Covid-19 vaccine and refuting misinformation that sparks reluctance. He expressed gratitude to Virginia Caine, MD, president of the NMA for her advocacy in the Covid-19 pandemic and other public health crises.
“These are critical times in our nation,” Dr. Caine said. “Each of you are called to an important role in promoting health, education, and the elimination of healthcare disparities for all communities, especially those that we know are underserved.”
Other keynote speakers spoke on the importance of diversifying the medical field and expanding health care access to underserved communities, and describing what is at stake to patients when non-health care providers approve legislation that makes the cost of medicine skyrocket.
Other prominent health care leaders in attendance included Ed Gordon, president of Ed Gordon Media; Uche Blackstock, MD, founder and chief executive officer of Advancing Health Equity; Rep. Laura A. Hall, Alabama House of Representatives; Rep. Yvette Clarke, U.S. House of Representatives; DeMetris Causer, Esq., member of the legal defense fund of the NAACP, Oluwakemi Adeola, PhD, clinical assistant professor of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Howard University; Laura Williams, MD, MPH, chief medical officer at Ardelyx; Darryl Sleep, MD, senior vice president of Global Medical at Amgen; Janet Wright, MD, FACC, director of the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and more.
To access images from today’s event, please click here. To become a member of the NMA, register here.
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About the National Medical Association:
The NMA is the nation’s oldest and largest organization representing Black physicians and
health professionals in the U.S. and promotes the collective interests of physicians and patients of African descent. We serve as the voice of Black physicians and a leading voice for parity in
medicine, elimination of health disparities and promotion of optimal health. To learn more about the NMA, please visit https://www.nmanet.org/.
Media Contact:
Sherelyn Weber
469-290-4495
sherelyn@bdaviscomm.com
