• Steps to Register

  1. Click “Register Now”
  2. Select the “Have a Code” option from the top of the menu and enter the registration code: ALC55NMA
  3. Complete General Registration
  4. Select the Professional Development Series (PDS) Sessions and then select NMA for Health Professionals from the dropdown menu.
  5. Optional  – Attendees may purchase additional tickets from the À La Carte menu if you would like to participate in other ALC conference events.
  Important Note: The code ALC55NMA covers General Registration only and must be entered during the registration process to receive the registration benefit.

• Topics to include:

  • Building Vaccine Confidence
  • Clinical Trials & Rare Disease Innovation
  • Nutrition, Movement & Cardiometabolic Health
  • Blueprint for Generational Health

• At the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 55^th Annual Legislative Conference

  

Tentative Agenda

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

• 10:00–10:15 amWelcome & Opening RemarksBrandi Freeman, M.D., M.S.
  127th President
  National Medical Association
  
  Priscilla Mpasi, M.D.
  Chair, Board of Trustees
  National Medical Association
  
  Sarita Cathcart-McLarin, M.N., NP-C
  88th President
  Auxiliary to the National Medical Association
• 10:15–11:00 amProtecting Our Legacy: Building Vaccine Confidence and Safeguarding Children and Communities Examining and challenging disinformation with recent federal guideline changes regarding childhood vaccinations to regain public trust and provide community health benefits. Panel will discuss the latest evidence, health disparities, and strategies to promote scientific backed informed decision-making and equitable health outcomes for children.
  
  Brandi Freeman, M.D., M.S. (moderator)
  127th President
  National Medical Association
  
  Panel:
  
  Georges C. Benjamin, M.D.
  Chief Executive Officer
  American Public Health Association
  
  Patricia Whitley-Williams, M.D.
  Professor of Pediatrics
  Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
  
  Dial Hewlett, Jr, M.D.
  Medical Director, Tuberculosis Services - Westchester County Department of Health
  Adjunct Associate Professor-New York Medical College
  
  Audience Interaction / Q&A
• 11:00 am–12:00 pmA Blueprint for Breakthroughs: Clinical Trial Participation and Rare Disease InnovationProject IMPACT 2.0: The NMA’s National Call to Close the Research Representation Gap Building the Workforce and Community Research Infrastructure Needed for Stronger Science, Safer Care, and Better Health Outcomes.
  
  Introduction
  
  Randall C. Morgan Jr., M.D., M.B.A.
  President & CEO
  W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute
  96th President of the National Medical Association
  
  Video presentation
  
  The Current Climate, Challenges and Strategies
  Rolf Taylor
  Project Director
  Project Impact 2.0
  
  The Emerging NMA Database Project
  Brenda Jamerson, Pharm.D.
  Founder and President
  iSemcha
  
  The Need and Plan for Community Engagement
  Conchita Burpee, M.B.A.
  Director of Community Engagement
  W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute
  
  The Opportunity and the Mandate for the NMA Physician Engagement
  Batisha Anson (Moderator)
  Chief Executive Officer
  Sky Clinical Research Network Group
  
  Panel
  
  Rose Blackburne M.D., M.B.A.
  Vice President, Head of Population Science
  Thermo- Fischer Scientific
  
  Pearl Phillips, R.N., M.B.A., M.S.
  Founder & CEO
  CITE Foundation for Community Engagement
  
  Audrey Escobedo-Escotto, M.D., M.P.H.
  Vice President
  Emerson Research Institute
  
  Summary and Next Steps
  
  Randall Morgan, M.D., M.B.A.
  Brandi Freeman, M.D., M.P.H.
• 12:00–12:25 pmLunch is served
• 12:25–1:15 pmLunch Presentation: Generational Health Starts Here: Nutrition, Movement, and Cardiometabolic Health Exploring strategies to prevent and reduce the prevalence of CVD disease; the leading cause of death globally and in the US. Recap historic focus on preventive care, early intervention, and healthy lifestyle habits across generations. Examine recent developments in the role of genetics—Lipoprotein (a) screening discussion for provider and community health education.
  
  Hakeem Ayinde, M.D. , M.S. (moderator)
  Chair of Cardiology Subsection
  Immediate Past Chair of Internal Medicine Section
  National Medical Association
  
  Panel:
  
  American Heart Association Speaker
  
  Albert J. Hicks III, M.D., M.P.H.
  Director, Cardiopulmonary Care and Heart/Lung Transplant
  Integris Baptist Medical Center
  
  Ijeoma Isiadinso, M.D., M.P.H. (Invited)
  Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology)
  Emory University School of Medicine
• 1:15–2:00 pmAdvancing Firearm Injury Prevention: Physicians Leading Safer Communities
• 2:00–3:00 pmWhiteboard Discussion, Wrap-Up, & Closing: “Blueprint for Generational Health:” The NMA as Convener of Other Interested GroupsBrandi Freeman, M.D., M.S. (moderator)
  127th President
  National Medical Association
  
  Panel:
  
  Sheldon D. Fields, Ph.D., R.N.
  President
  National Black Nurses Association, Inc
  
  Egondu Onuoha-Nwaokorie, M.S., R.D.N.
  National Organization of Black Dietetics and Nutrition
  
  Remi Wanjiru Onifade, P.T., D.P.T., M.Ed.
  Co-Founder
  National Association of Black Physical Therapists

Participating Speakers

• Batisha Anson

  Batisha Anson is Chief Executive Officer of SKY Clinical Research Network Group, a consortium of independent, private practice-based, multispecialty clinical research sites serving diverse communities across the United States. Throughout her career, Batisha has been dedicated to advancing the connection between biopharmaceutical innovation and the communities that stand to benefit most from scientific progress. Prior to joining SKY Clinical Research Network Group, she served as Global Head of Inclusion & Access and was a member of the Clinical Senior Leadership Team at Syneos Health, one of the world’s leading clinical research organizations.

  In this role, Batisha led customer-facing teams responsible for developing and executing enterprise- wide strategies to improve representation in clinical trials, strengthen global research site partnerships, and advance patient engagement solutions that expanded community access to research opportunities.

  During her 25-year tenure at Syneos Health, Batisha held a series of senior leadership positions across the commercial organization. She established a distinguished track record of designing high- impact healthcare campaigns, building strategic cross-industry partnerships, and leading high- performing teams and programs that delivered measurable improvements in stakeholder engagement, organizational reputation, and business performance.

  Batisha’s contributions to the healthcare and clinical research industries have earned notable recognition, including being named a PM360 ELITE Strategist and contributing to programs recognized with PRWeek Healthcare Campaign of the Year honors.
  A respected industry leader and trusted advisor, Batisha has served on the Leadership Council of the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center (MRCT Center) of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard, the Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) and contributed to organizations including the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA).

• Hakeem Ayinde, M.D.

  Dr. Hakeem Ayinde is a board-certified cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist at the Cardiology Associates of Fredericksburg in Virginia. His clinical work involves the management of inherited cardiomyopathies and a wide array of complex arrhythmias. He is dedicated to partnering with patients to overcome barriers to effective cardiovascular care and to promoting risk factor modification across the cardio‑kidney‑metabolic spectrum.

  Dr. Ayinde’s research focuses on atrial fibrillation and its intersection with cardiomyopathies, and outcomes of catheter ablation—work that increasingly informs multidisciplinary approaches to cardiometabolic risk and early disease detection.

  He is deeply committed to medical education, mentorship, and advancing health equity. Dr. Ayinde is the immediate past Chair of the Internal Medicine Section and current Chair of the Cardiology Subsection of the National Medical Association (NMA). He is a member of the Communications Subcommittee at the Heart Rhythm Society and serves on both the Cardiac Electrophysiology Committee and the Communications Committee of the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC). Through his work with the NMA and ABC, he mentors numerous early‑career physicians from underrepresented backgrounds and advocates for improved access to cardiovascular and cardiometabolic care in minority communities.

• Georges C. Benjamin, M.D.

  Georges C. Benjamin, M.D. is known as one of the nation’s most influential physician leaders because he speaks passionately and eloquently about the health issues having the most impact on our nation today. From his firsthand experience as a physician, he knows what happens when preventive care is not available and when the healthy choice is not the easy choice. As CEO of APHA since 2002, he is leading the Association’s push to make America the healthiest nation.

  He came to APHA from his position as secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Benjamin became secretary of health in Maryland in April 1999, following four years as its deputy secretary for public health services. As secretary, Benjamin oversaw the expansion and improvement of the state’s Medicaid program. Benjamin, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois College of Medicine.

  He is board-certified in internal medicine and a master of the American College of Physicians, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, a fellow emeritus of the American College of Emergency Physicians, an honorary fellow of the Faculty of Public Health and an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health.

  An established administrator, author and orator, Benjamin started his medical career as a military physician in 1978 when he trained in internal medicine at the Brooke Army Medical Center. In 1981, he was assigned to the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington, where he managed a 72,000-patient visit ambulatory care service as chief of the Acute Illness Clinic and was faculty and an attending physician within the Department of Emergency Medicine. A few years later, he was reassigned to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he served as chief of emergency medicine. After leaving the Army, he chaired the Department of Community Health and Ambulatory Care at the District of Columbia General Hospital. He was promoted to acting commissioner for public health for the District of Columbia and later directed one of the busiest ambulance services in the nation as interim director of the Emergency Ambulance Bureau of the District of Columbia Fire Department.

• Rose Blackburne, M.D., M.B.A.

  Dr. Rose Blackburne is Executive Medical Director for PPD, providing strategic oversight for pharmaceutical and medical device development programs in general medicine and women’s health. A board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with more than 25 years of healthcare experience, she is recognized globally for advancing products that improve health outcomes for women, men, and children. Dr. Blackburne previously served on the FDA Patient Engagement Advisory Committee and is a distinguished leader within the National Medical Association, where she has played a key role in advancing physician leadership, health policy, and diversity in clinical research.

• Audrey Escobedo-Escotto, M.D., M.P.H.

  Dr. Audrey Escobedo-Escotto is a physician and public health leader with more than a decade of experience in clinical research, community health, and health equity. She holds a Master of Public Health from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University and serves as Vice President of Emerson Clinical Research Institute (ECRI), where she has been instrumental in advancing diversity and representation in clinical trials.

  Dr. Escobedo-Escotto is the Washington, D.C. Chapter Chair of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) and is deeply committed to improving healthcare access and representation for Hispanic and underserved communities.

  She is also co-host of Tu Salud Tu Familia on Telemundo, where she provides Spanish- language health education to the community. Her media work has earned four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Health and Science Special and a 2025 Telly Award in the Television-General Health category.

  Her contributions to health equity have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being named one of the 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health by the National Minority Quality Forum and receiving recognition from Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for her service as a healthcare provider abroad.

• Brandi Kaye Freeman, M.D., M.S.

  Dr. Brandi Kaye Freeman is a pediatrician, health services researcher, and nationally recognized leader in health equity. She serves as Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Vice Chair of Health Opportunities and Professional Engagement (HOPE) at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where her work focuses on improving equitable health care delivery, advancing minority health, and helping children thrive in early childhood.

  In 2026, Dr. Freeman was installed as the 127th President of the National Medical Association, following service in multiple leadership roles within the organization. She is the first former Student Trustee and Post-Graduate Trustee elected President and the first NMA President from Colorado.

  Dr. Freeman earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University, her M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine, completed her pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and received a Master of Science in Health Policy Research from the University of Pennsylvania as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar. Her career has been recognized through numerous honors for leadership, mentorship, and advancing minority health.

• Dial Hewlett, Jr., M.D.

  Dial Hewlett Jr, is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. He was recruited to attend the University of Wisconsin on a track scholarship and went on to receive an MD from that University in 1976. He completed an internal medicine residency at Harlem Hospital Center – Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York City. He then served for an additional year as Chief Medical Resident at Harlem Hospital Center.. Following internal Medicine training at Harlem Hospital, Dr. Hewlett completed a two year clinical and research fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein Affiliated Hospitals in the Bronx, New York.

  Following post-graduate medical training, Dr. Hewlett was appointed to be Chief of the Infectious Disease Division at Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center in the Bronx, New York and Assistant Professor of Medicine with NY Medical College Valhalla, NY. He subsequently became an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and served for a total of nine years at Lincoln prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry at the end of 1996.

  During his 23 year career in the Pharmaceutical industry with Pfizer Inc. Dr. Hewlett simultaneously served on the voluntary medical staffs as an Infectious Disease consultant at Lawrence Hospital Bronxville, New York (now NY Presbyterian Westchester), and Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, NY

  Following retirement from the pharmaceutical Industry in 2019, Dr. Hewlett served as Medical Director for the Westchester County Department of Health Clinics . Between March, 2020 and June, 2023, he supported the Health Department activities aimed at COVID education / prevention including the COVID mass vaccination initiatives for adults and children.

  Between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2023, Dr Hewlett served as Principal Investigator for a 3.7 Million dollar grant from the U.S. Health and Human Services aimed at improving Health Literacy in the underserved areas of Westchester County which were heavily impacted by the COVID pandemic.

  Dr. Hewlett is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, The Infectious Disease Society of America and the New York Academy of Medicine. He is chair of the National Medical Association Task force on the COVID Vaccines and Therapeutics,

  In September, 2021, Dr. Hewlett received an Infectious Disease Society of America Citation Award which commemorated exemplary contributions to the Infectious Disease Society of America during the COVID pandemic.
  In February, 2022 Dr. Hewlett received the Dr. Valiere Alcena Award for his contributions in the field of Health & Human Services to the People of Westchester County New York.

  Dr. Hewlett has been married to Janice Marie Chance-Hewlett BSN RN for 44 years. They have four adult children and 7 grandchildren.

• Albert Hicks, M.D., M.P.H.

  Dr. Hicks is a board-certified Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiologist with extensive experience in both clinical care, academic medicine, and leadership. He currently works at Integris Baptist hospital in Oklahoma City and serves as Director of Advanced Cardiopulmonary Care and Heart and Lung Transplant. In this role Dr. Hicks oversees programs in advanced heart failure, mechanical circulatory support, advanced lung disease, and heart and lung transplantation.

  Prior to being recruited to Integris, Dr. Hicks worked at University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he served as Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section Chief of Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplant, and Co-Director of Thoracic Transplant. During his tenure at Maryland he contributed to the care and management of the first two pig-to-human cardiac xenotransplant patients in the world.

  Previously, he served as Medical Director of Cardiac Transplantation at Baylor Scott & White in Temple and as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.

  Dr. Hicks earned his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine and completed his fellowships in Cardiology and Advanced Heart Failure/Transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

• Brenda Jamerson, Pharm.D.

  Dr. Brenda Jamerson is a drug development scientist, clinical research executive, and Founder of iSimcha Health, where she leads the development of AI-enabled solutions that improve investigator intelligence, clinical trial access, research databases, and patient engagement.

  She previously held senior leadership roles in Clinical Research and Medical Affairs at a major pharmaceutical company, overseeing Phase 2-4 drug development, clinical operations, regulatory strategy, and new drug application planning. She also co-founded a biotechnology company that advanced a novel therapeutic program through Phase 1 development.

  An experienced IRB professional and Principal Investigator, Dr. Jamerson has led NIH- and PCORI-supported research initiatives. Her publications and patents focus on artificial intelligence, drug development, and research ethics.

• Randall C. Morgan, Jr., M.D., M.B.A.

  Dr. Randall C. Morgan, Jr. is the Founding Executive Director and current President & CEO of the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute in Washington, DC. Since 2005, he has led the Institute’s team of scholars and research specialists focused on eliminating health disparities, positioning it as a national leader in health equity research and advocacy.

  Recently retired from a distinguished 50-year career in Orthopedic Surgery, Dr. Morgan specialized in Pediatric and Adult Reconstructive Orthopedics, practicing for 30 years in Gary, Indiana, and later in Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida. He continues to teach as Clinical Associate Professor at Florida State University College of Medicine and the University of Connecticut and holds emeritus status at Indiana University School of Medicine.

  Dr. Morgan earned his B.A. in Chemistry from Grinnell College, M.D. from Howard University, and MBA from the University of South Florida. He completed residency at Northwestern University and a fellowship in Pediatric Orthopedics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. In 2025, he was honored with the Inaugural President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement from Grinnell College.

  He has been deeply involved in the National Medical Association, serving as its 96th President from 1996-1997. His other leadership roles include Chair of the Orthopedic Surgery Section, President of the Hoosier State Medical Association, Chair of Region IV, and Speaker of the House of Delegates. In 2005, he founded the Gulfcoast Medical Society in Sarasota-Bradenton, FL, where he remains active.

  A pioneer in joint replacement surgery at Northwestern University, Dr. Morgan co-founded the Orthopedic Centers of Northwest Indiana, once the largest minority-owned orthopedic practice in the nation, and served as Executive Director and founder of the J. Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society.

  Dr. Morgan and his wife, Karen, have been married for 56 years and are the proud parents of three daughters and six grandchildren.

• Priscilla Mpasi, M.D.

  Dr. Priscilla Mpasi is a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a child health policy advisor for Delaware Health and Social Services. Her work focuses on expanding healthcare access, strengthening Medicaid benefits, promoting early childhood education, and advancing health equity for vulnerable populations. A recognized physician leader, she currently serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees for the National Medical Association. She also held leadership roles with the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and is dedicated to mentoring future physicians and advancing diversity in medicine.

• Pearl Phillips, M.B.A., M.S., B.S.N., R.N.

  Pearl Phillips is a clinical trials strategist with a background in public health nursing, and Founder & CEO of the CITE Foundation (Community Initiative for Trust Engagement), where her work centers on strengthening trust, expanding access, and ensuring that patients of diverse backgrounds can confidently navigate healthcare and clinical research across disease areas.

  She leads CITE’s signature Circle of Trust Network, a national and global community of trained leaders, advocates, and trusted messengers who educate communities about clinical trials, share best practices, and collaborate on publications and policy insights that advance representativeness and improve access to care. Through community engagement, clinician education, and policy advocacy, her vision is to equip 1 million people by 2030 with the clarity and confidence to shape their health futures and leave a legacy of health for generations to come.

  Pearl also serves as Chief Navigation Officer at Navigation Trials, the clinical trial navigation subsidiary of TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance. In this role she leads the development and national expansion of patient-centered navigation infrastructure, integrating culturally competent support, clinical trial access, survivorship pathways, and pharma collaborations to redesign how patients experience research.

  Pearl began her career in public health nursing, seeing firsthand how access and systemic barriers shaped patient outcomes. That vantage point carried her into specialty pharmacy and then into population health management informatics at Philips Healthcare, where she led national partnerships with health systems adopting data aggregation and dashboard solutions in pursuit of the Triple Aim and CMS quality standards. Each step widened the lens from the individual patient to the systems shaping their care, drawing her into late phase clinical research at IQVIA and ICON, where she designed real world evidence studies and led site feasibility and engagement strategy across community trial sites and decentralized models. Her lived experience as a breast cancer survivor deepens her commitment to ensuring that patients and communities everywhere have access to care, information, and research that reflect their realities.

• Rolf Taylor, B.A. (Hons)

  Rolf Taylor is a healthcare non-profit leader and patient advocate with over two decades of international experience driving health equity and digital innovation. He currently serves on the leadership team at the W. Montague Cobb Institute, where he builds strategic collaborations to “Close the Research Representation Gap”, including the adoption of an AI-powered, plain-language clinical trial access tool, and providing Program Direction for Project IMPACT 2.0, in partnership with the National Medical Association.

  Throughout his career, Rolf has held senior leadership and corporate partnership roles at Roche/Genentech, Focused Ultrasound Foundation, American Liver Foundation, COPD Foundation, HealthUnlocked, and Movement is Life (Zimmer Biomet). A passionate health communicator, he is the founder and original host of the Health Disparities Podcast, having produced its first 150 episodes, and Kidney Transplant Conversations.

  Rolf began his career in the UK as a clinical research associate for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) after graduating from Hertfordshire University with a BA degree in Social Sciences, majoring in Political Economy. He is now based in Maryland.

• Patricia N. Whitley-Williams, M.D.

  Patricia N. Whitley-Williams, M.D. is Professor of Pediatrics, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases and Senior Associate Dean for Inclusion and Diversity at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS). A native of Boston, she received a B.S. degree in biology from Simmons College in Boston and an M.D. degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati and fellowship training in pediatric infectious diseases at Boston City Hospital/Boston University School of Medicine.

  She served on the faculty of Boston University School of Medicine and Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia before joining the faculty at Rutgers RWJMS (formerly known as the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ). She is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She has published articles and several book chapters, served on national grant review committees, is the recipient of many awards, and has mentored many young pediatricians, residents and medical students.

  She is a member of the Infectious Disease Society of America, the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Medical Association (NMA). She serves on several national committees including the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (Immediate Past President), National Medical Association’s liaison member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a member of the NMA’s Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics. She is an active member of the Central Jersey Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Her research interests HIV/AIDS in women and children as well as childhood and adolescent immunizations.