2010 Annual Health Disparities Conference Proceedings

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings

Center on Health Disparities A D V E N T I S T H E A L T H C A R E

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 2

Authored by Staff of the Center on Health Disparities at Adventist HealthCare Marcos Pesquera, RPh, MPH Executive Director Talya Frelick, MPH Project Coordinator Marilyn Lynk, PhD Program Manager Eme Martin, MPH Project Coordinator Sonia Portillo Research Assistant Deidre Washington, PhD Research Associate Designed by Tiffany Capeles, MBA Consultant

To download additional copies of the proceedings or learn about the activities of the Center on Health Disparities, visit the Center’s web site at: http://www.adventisthealthcare.com/disparities

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments ··············································································· 5 Welcome ························································································· 7 Executive Summary ············································································· 9 Overview ························································································ 10 Agenda ·························································································· 13 Conference Planning Process ································································ 14 Speakers ························································································· 16 Panelists ························································································· 19 Networking In Action ········································································· 24 2010 Blue Ribbon Award ···································································· 28 Conference Evaluation Summary ··························································· 30 Analysis and Recommendations ····························································· 32 Future Directions ·············································································· 36 Conference Attendees List ··································································· 42

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 4

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 5

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Adventist HealthCare and the Center on Health Disparities would like to thank all of the 2010 Health Disparities Conference participants, speakers, panelists, and sponsors for their continued support of the Center’s activities. We are grateful to the members of the planning committee— especially the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Minority Initiatives who provided financial support for the conference. Their guidance and support helped make this conference another success.

CHD 2010 Annual Health Disparities Conference Proceedings The 2010 conference proceedings summarizes recommended research, policy, and community action strategies to address social determinants of health and is based on speakers’ presentation slides and transcription notes. Also included is a list of attendees interested in networking and partnering across multiple sectors to address a wide range of public health issues.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 6

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 7

WELCOME

Marcos Pesquera, Executive Director, Center on Health Disparities at Adventist HealthCare, introduced the speakers and panelists, and acknowledged the audience members who give their time and effort— but more importantly their hearts—to serve our community.

Mr. Pesquera thanked the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services for their support of this conference and their continued commitment to improve the health of our communities.

Also, he thanked Frederick and Prince George’s Counties Departments of Health and Human Services for their partnership in the planning.

Marcos Pesquera, Executive Director, Center on Health Disparities at Adventist HealthCare.

Several members of the planning committee were asked to stand to acknowledge their participation in the planning and execution of the conference: Betty Lam, Brenda Lockley, Sonia Mora, Talya Frelick, Eme Martin, Dr. Jackie Dougé, Dr. Donald Shell, Dr. Marilyn Lynk, and Dr. Deidre Washington

Mr. Pesquera mentioned leadership at the top of an organization as a critical piece of successfully incorporating strategies to achieve equity. He introduced and acknowledged Bill Robertson, President and CEO of Adventist HealthCare, for his vision to create a Center on Health Disparities, and for engaging community leaders and seeking support and guidance for the launch of such an endeavor.

He also invited Uma Ahluwalia, Director, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, to speak, acknowledging her tireless work to improve the health and living conditions of the most vulnerable populations in our communities and lead the effort to remove barriers to care and services for all county residents.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 8

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 9

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The 2010 Fourth Annual Health Disparities Conference, sponsored by the Adventist HealthCare, Center on Health Disparities, was held on November 3, 2010 in Rockville, Maryland at the Universities of Shady Grove Conference Center. The theme of this year’s conference was Social Determinants of Health. Conference attendees included Adventist HealthCare employees, state and local government officials, public health professionals, policymakers, students, and other community stakeholders.

Attendees heard compelling presentations by nationally-recognized leaders, explaining how social determinants, such as educational opportunities, income disparities, the built environment, and neighborhood conditions, contribute to inequitable and unfair differences in health and access to health care between different racial/ethnic groups. Presenters also gave examples of ongoing programs and initiatives they are involved in that address these social determinants, to help disadvantaged populations achieve better health and quality of life. Social Determinants of Health was also the topic of the Center on Health Disparities’ 2010 Annual Progress Report, available on the Center on Health Disparities website (www.adventisthealthcare.com/disparities).

These 2010 Annual Health Disparities Conference Proceedings offer an overview of conference activities, and summarize the major themes and ideas to emerge from the speakers and the attendees. We describe the conference planning process in detail, including the members of our planning committee. We summarize the presentations given by our speakers, including Margaret O’Bryon, the President and CEO of Consumer Health Foundation, who gave opening remarks. The morning and afternoon keynote presentations were given by Dr. Brian Smedley of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, and Dr. Betina Jean Louis of the Harlem Children’s Zone, respectively. Morning and afternoon panel sessions followed the keynote presentations.

During the lunch break, a networking exercise facilitated discussion and idea-exchange among the attendees on how organizations could collaborate to address the social determinants of health in their community. We present a summary of the suggestions that emerged from this networking exercise. Finally, we offer an analysis of the themes that emerged from dialogue among the speakers, panelists, and attendees; the challenges discussed; and recommendations for future research, education, and service strategies, both for the Center on Health Disparities and community organizations.

In conclusion, we feel that our 2010 Annual Conference was a tremendous success. We hope that you will use these proceedings as a resource when considering new strategies for advancing your organization’s health disparities agenda. Although much work remains to be done in order to achieve health equity, we are heartened to know that there are so many dedicated professionals in the Washington, D.C. area, and across the country, who are working toward accomplishing this lofty goal.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 10

Partnering Toward a Healthier Future

OVERVIEW Across the nation, more and more people are facing persistent and pervasive inequality and disparities where they are born, grow, work, learn, and live. Together these disparities can have a profoundly negative effect on one’s health and wellbeing. The engagement of community partners—especially leaders and professionals across all public and private sectors—is crucial to address the root causes of these disparities and improve the health of communities.

In 2007, Adventist HealthCare created the Center on Health Disparities to help raise community awareness, improve capacity, and develop solutions to eliminate local disparities in health care. The Center on Health Disparities’ mission is to achieve health equity by reducing and eliminating disparities in health status, and health care access, treatment, quality, and outcomes throughout the communities it serves.

CENTER ON HEALTH DISPARITIES ANNUAL CONFERENCES: 2007–2009 The Center on Health Disparities has developed and disseminated three annual reports in conjunction with a health disparities conference to bring community stakeholders together and share best practices in research and community interventions to eliminate health disparities locally. The Center held its first conference in November 2007, less than a year after its inception at Adventist HealthCare, to disseminate the findings published in its inaugural report, Partnering Toward a Healthier Future: Eliminating Health Disparities in Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland (Center on Health Disparities, 2007). The report provided local stakeholders with information about health disparities in the tri-county Maryland region, including compiled data on demographic characteristics and health outcomes across several health indicators for racial, ethnic, and linguistic groups, and cultural influences on health. The Center also outlined several recommendations to help health care and other organizations address health disparities by: expanding outreach and services to racial and ethnic minorities; promoting systematic data collection and research; disseminating knowledge from best practices in data collection to community members and leaders in health care; promoting innovative, linguistically and culturally-sensitive care in the community; and funding mechanisms to foster the exchange of best practices.

The 2008 Center on Health Disparities report described community partners’ achievements in response to the 2007 report recommendations and identified ways the Center on Health Disparities could support their partners’ progress (Center on Health Disparities, 2008).

The report recommendations called for more community collaboration to disseminate information about organizations’ activities and accomplishments; improved standardization of racial/ethnic identifying data procedures,

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 11

OVERVIEW practices, and utilization; and more cultural competency education and training for health care organizations, providers, and staff. At the conference that same year, speakers and panelists discussed how to leverage health disparities research and policy at national, state, and local levels to eliminate disparities. The speakers discussed advancing race/ethnicity and language data collection strategies and facilitating partnerships among health disparities research experts and policy leaders committed to achieving health equity.

Whereas the previous report focused on community initiatives primarily, the 2009 report highlighted education, health services, and research initiatives at Adventist HealthCare to help improve cultural competency in health care and eliminate disparities (Center on Health Disparities, 2009). The 2009 report evaluated Adventist HealthCare’s progress in achieving the recommendations and initial goals set out in the 2007 Progress Report and by the founding Blue Ribbon Panel. The main goals of the 2009 conference were to identify and share strategies for implementing cultural competence standards in order to reduce barriers to quality health care for underserved populations, and foster community partnerships among stakeholders committed to measuring and reporting cultural competency and quality of care to local residents. Speakers and participants exchanged ideas and best practices in improving health care quality during breakout sessions. Kaiser Permanente has provided funding to support the Center’s initiatives including annual health disparities conferences in 2008 and 2009, and the Qualified Bilingual Staff Train-the-Trainer Program in 2010.

The Center’s 2010 annual conference, entitled "Social Determinants of Health: The Role of Health Care in Leading Social Change in Local Communities," provided community stakeholders from different sectors the opportunity to learn from one another and explore potential collaborative partnerships by networking with participants from multiple sectors of the community. Leaders, professionals, and community members from criminal justice, education, and business as well as health care shared knowledge and began discussing ways to improve quality of life and promote health equity locally. More than 250 people attended the conference; approximately 40% of them were from non-health occupations.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 12

OVERVIEW

CENTER ON HEALTH DISPARITIES 2010 ANNUAL HEALTH DISPARITIES CONFERENCE The 2010 annual conference was held on November 3, 2010 at the Universities of Shady Grove in Rockville, Maryland, to facilitate dialogue among community stakeholders about social factors affecting community and individual health. At the one-day conference, experts in research, policy, and community initiatives described factors such as living conditions and work environment that affect Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans, and how such factors can affect their health and wellbeing.

Speakers involved in local initiatives addressed challenges and suggested strategies for building cooperative partnerships to address these social factors in order to improve health care quality and health outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities.

The networking lunch at the conference brought community stakeholders from various domains together to facilitate networking among colleagues to share knowledge, discuss barriers and solutions, and build collaborative partnerships across multiple domains to promote health equity locally. Participants worked in pairs or small groups and answered a set of questions. After the activity, volunteers were asked to share what they learned with regard to partnership ideas and strategies to address social determinants. The conference concluded with

Conference attendees during a fruitful discussion.

an award presented to the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center for accomplishments in promoting health equity in our communities through collaboration and outreach (Edvin Chow, Executive Director, accepted the award on their behalf), and closing comments from Marcos Pesquera thanking presenters and attendees for their contributions to the conference.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 13

AGENDA AT A GLANCE Conference Speakers Welcome: Marcos Pesquera Executive Director, Center on Health Disparities at Adventist HealthCare William “Bill” Robertson President and CEO, Adventist HealthCare, Inc. Uma Ahluwalia Director, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Opening Remarks: Margaret O’Bryon, President and CEO, Consumer Health Foundation Morning Keynote Speaker: Brian Smedley, PhD, VP and Director, Health Policy Institute, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Panel Discussion: Addressing Social Determinants of Health to Improve Community Health • Diego Uriburu, MS, Co-Founder, The Latino Youth Collaborative, and Deputy Executive Director, IDENTITY, Inc. • Jermane Bond, PhD, Research Associate and Director, Commission on Paternal Involvement in Pregnancy Outcomes, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies • Arnab Mukherjea, PhD, MPH, Postdoctoral Scholar, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California-San Francisco Moderator: Deborah Willis-Fillinger, MD, Director, Office of Health Equity, Health Resources and Services Administration Networking Lunch and Activity: Connecting Leaders and Organizations Across Sectors Afternoon Keynote Speaker: Betina Jean-Louis, PhD, Director of Evaluation, Harlem Children’s Zone Panel Discussion: Collaborative Initiatives and Community Engagement • Donald Shell, MD, MA, Health Officer, Prince George’s County Health Department • Eric Seleznow, State Policy Director, National Skills Coalition • Myron Dean Quon, JD, MBA, Chief Executive, Quon Consulting Moderator: Rose Marie Martinez, ScD, Director, Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, Institute of Medicine 2010 Blue Ribbon Award: Presented to the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center Closing Remarks: Marcos Pesquera

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 14

CONFERENCE PLANNING PROCESS PLANNING MEETING SCHEDULE: March – December 2010 PHASE Determined topics, speakers, and format Drafted preliminary conference program and agenda Chose target audience(s) Proposed outcomes and deliverables Identified potential sponsors, funding sources Determined conference staffing needs Drafted preliminary budget PHASE Identified areas of interest: criminal justice, workforce and economic development, housing and environment, & and education Contacted participants in and outside of health care Planned Networking Lunch Scheduled and led speaker/topic subgroup meetings PHASE Sent Invitations Nominated and Selected Blue Ribbon Award Candidates Proposed discussion questions Selected Moderator November 3, 2010: Health Disparities Conference PHASE Evaluation Summary and Analysis Recommendations for Future Directions Proceedings Development and Dissemination

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 15

CONFERENCE PLANNING PROCESS PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS Julie Bawa, MPH Public Health Analyst/Project Officer, West Pacific Branch, Bureau of Primary Health Care, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services Tiffany Capeles, MBA Consultant, Center on Health Disparities Adventist HealthCare Jacqueline Dougé, MD, MPH, FAAP Deputy Health Officer Director, Health Care Connection Division Frederick County Health Department Anika Hines, PhD, MPH Consultant, Center on Health Disparities Adventist HealthCare Betty Lam, MA Chief, Office of Community Affairs Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Brenda Lockley, RN, MS Program Manager, African-American Health Program Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Marilyn Lynk, PhD Program Manager, Center on Health Disparities Adventist HealthCare Sonia Mora, MPH Program Manager, Latino Health Initiative Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Marcos Pesquera, RPh, MPH Executive Director, Center on Health Disparities Adventist HealthCare Donald Shell, MD, MA Health Officer Prince George’s County Health Department

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 16

SPEAKERS OPENING REMARKS Margaret O’Bryon, President and CEO of the Consumer Health Foundation, addressed the conference participants and started off the day talking about three of her passions: The Consumer Health Foundation (CHF), health justice, and the power of community. Her main points were about how her foundation came to focus on health justice, their vision and work in this area, and challenges and opportunities for advancing their work in the community. She stressed how important it is to have an outside assessment of their work by community experts. Their assessment included conversations with CHF grantees and other community partners. They learned there was a lot of work to do to address the strong forces that affect health and Margaret O’Bryon well being, including, but not limited to health care. Part of what they delivering opening did was change their grant making and adopt a much stronger focus on remarks. advocacy to change systems and policies at the intersections of health care, health, and other social and economic areas. Her final remarks encouraged making more connections between multiple institutions and interests to create a convergence of expertise, knowledge, and power. “In the space where interconnections are made, real change can occur to reverse the trend of poverty, eliminate health inequity, and improve the overall health of our community and its residents,” she concluded.

MORNING KEYNOTE ADDRESS:

Building Stronger Communities for Better Health

Dr. Brian Smedley addresses how building stronger communities leads to better health.

Our morning speaker, Brian Smedley, PhD, VP & Director, Health Policy Institute, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, discussed scientific evidence on social determinants of health as fundamental causes of health inequities and discussed policy implications and comprehensive solutions. In his 45-minute presentation, Building Stronger Communities for Better Health, Dr. Smedley discussed how one’s health is embedded in a community context, economic context, and political context. He said the key to transforming our communities is understanding and addressing the root causes of health inequities.

He addressed the tremendous gaps in education, income, and wealth, and how they arise out of a historical context. “Historic and contemporary racism and discrimination, residential segregation, and other systemic behaviors and practices have negative effects of health and human development. While there are differences in health risk and health-seeking behaviors among individuals, such as diet and sedentary lifestyles, many of

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 17

SPEAKERS these behaviors are deeply embedded in the context of where we live, the living conditions in communities, and the quality of schools.”

Dr. Smedley mentioned several strategies to address these differences including (1) improving conditions in which people live, work and play to prevent negative health outcomes; (2) establishing partnerships with other stakeholders in the community across a range of sectors, not just public health or our health care systems (e.g., faith groups, business groups, educators, community-based organizations); and (3) having a sustained investment and a long-term policy agenda. Two general strategies he suggested were (1) place-based strategies to increase investments in communities that have suffered from disinvestment and (2) people-based strategies to increase opportunities for housing mobility (i.e., to allow folks who live in communities that suffer from disinvestment to leave distressed communities and move into communities with better opportunity structures). He stressed that both strategies need to happen simultaneously.

He concluded by describing the Place Matters initiative at the Joint Center, going into its fifth year to build the capacity of local leaders to address social determinants of health by improving neighborhood conditions for health, improving the quality of the food environment, reducing the concentration of environmental health risks, and improving conditions for health child development. All of these are important community-based strategies addressing conditions in neighborhoods that shape health. The Joint Center is working with different groups to look at social determinants and health status within these communities and track progress over time.

AFTERNOON KEYNOTE ADDRESS:

The Harlem Children’s Zone: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

Our afternoon speaker, Betina Jean-Louis, PhD, Director of Evaluation at the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) introduced the Harlem Children’s Zone Project and discussed initiatives and strategies used for coordination and collaboration with community partners to address factors affecting health and wellbeing of children, families, and communities.

Harlem Children’s Zone has a strategic approach to change the nature of the community, engaging the whole community and providing comprehensive interventions from birth through graduation. The place-based initiative is neighborhood-based and works to address issues faced by residents living within 100 blocks in Central Harlem. They established a pipeline of best-practice programs for children from 0–24 years old with supports for families and communities. To ensure community buy-in, they have a community advisory board to support community building efforts. Finally, Dr. Betina Jean-Louis stresses the importance of collaboration.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 18

SPEAKERS they have internal program evaluation capacity and resources to build a data infrastructure in order to continuously improve their programs. Their best practices and evaluation efforts have had a positive impact on children’s academic achievement from elementary school through college.

Dr. Jean-Louis started her presentation by noting the national crisis that has greatly affected U.S. residents, including those from the HCZ Project area. Poverty, failing schools, high unemployment rates, and high rates of incarceration all amount to a crisis in Harlem affecting children, families, and the greater Central Harlem community. She cited an amazing figure from research conducted at Columbia University: the amount of money that is spent to incarcerate an individual in the United States ($30,000 to $52,000 for adults in 2003) is much higher than the amount of money being spent per child—$3,200—to participate in the Harlem Children’s Zone Project.

Dr. Jean-Louis showed a video featuring HCZ on CNN's series Black in America. In the video, journalist Soledad O'Brien profiled some of the solutions HCZ has devised to address healthrelated problems among African American youth including obesity and risks for chronic diseases. She also highlighted work at HCZ’s Asthma Initiative, where they provide services to address the high rate of asthma among children living in the zone (in 2009–2010, 29% compared to 5–7% national rate). They collaborate with hospitals, education and health departments, foundations, and legal services organizations to provide a range of interventions, including educational, social, medical, environmental and legal assistance to families. She noted that with multiple collaborators, it’s really important to have unity of purpose and to maintain one’s purpose. HCZ and its partner organizations work very hard to stay focused and facilitate collaboration through regular steering committee participation, and by having a memorandum of understanding at the beginning of the work. HCZ shares its knowledge nationwide through their Practitioners Institute where a group of people (e.g., board members, organization staff, and others.) working together on a project learn about what HCZ does, how to replicate a different program, or how to create their own zone in a community.

Finally, Dr. Jean-Louis discussed Promise Neighborhoods, President Obama’s attempt to replicate the work being done in different communities. A number of communities have received planning grants, including Cesar Chavez Public Policy Charter High School in Washington, D.C. The Promise Neighborhoods Institute is creating a series of resources for neighborhood-based collaborative work.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 19

PANELISTS

Morning Panel: Morning Panelists (left to right): Arnab Mukerhjea, Jermane Bond, and Diego Uriburu, with Moderator Deborah Willis-Fillinger.

“Addressing Social Determinants to Improve Community Health” Each panel speaker was asked to discuss the social, economic, and environmental conditions that affect specific populations, challenges they face, and strategies to address these conditions.

The salient theme that emerged across all presentations was the importance of using a comprehensive approach to address social determinants. Each speaker had about 15 minutes to present and a moderator led a discussion after the panel presentations.

LATINO YOUTH COLLABORATIVE:

MR. DIEGO URIBURU

Mr. Uriburu discussed some of the social determinants adversely affecting the Latino youth population in Montgomery County. Education, living environment (isolation, minimal family support), and violence all contributed to what Mr. Uriburu referred to as “a lost generation of Latino youth.” He cited specific examples, saying that over most of the past 13 years, Latino youth had the highest high school dropout rates, the lowest graduation rates, and the lowest attendance rates in Montgomery County. Community involvement was important in addressing these issues, so elected officials within Montgomery County were brought into discussions about developing long-term solutions, including the County Executive, council members, and members of the Board of Education. The result was the development of a public-private partnership (the Latino Youth Collaborative) consisting of County government Departments that work with youth and families, including Health and Human Services, Recreation, Police, Economic Development, and Corrections among others. The partnership divided into three separate subgroups: the first addressed policies that were negatively impacting Latino youth; the second worked on responsive services that needed to be implemented, improved or changed in order to achieve general wellbeing, violence prevention, and educational development; and the third focused on social integration, to address the problem of social isolation for the Latino community in Montgomery County.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 20

PANELISTS Mr. Uriburu’s remarks emphasized the importance of having participation and buy-in from the members of the community, including elected officials such as the County Council and the Board of Education. Without this buy-in, any recommendations from the Collaborative would have very little chance of being implemented. Also, by including them in the process, they can be held accountable for the recommendations.

In April 2011, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett released the Latino Youth Collaborative Steering Committee Report titled, “A Generation of Youth Hanging in the Balance.” The report includes the final recommendations from the Collaborative, which includes calls to: · Develop policies and implement strategies for increasing career/job-based education opportunities for Montgomery County Public School students. · Identify and enhance the capability of key contact/entry point in Montgomery County to connect with Latino families and assess their needs. · Provide Latino youth and families with the necessary tools, knowledge, and access to strengthen their civic engagement capabilities.

BOYS-TO-MEN-TO-FATHERS: PATHWAYS TO IMPROVE PATERNAL INVOLVEMENT IN PREGNANCY OUTCOMES: DR. JERMANE BOND Dr. Bond’s presentation focused on the problem of infant mortality in the United States. The U.S. ranks 28th among developed countries in infant mortality, which is considered a key indicator of the health of a nation. Although pregnancy outcomes are improving overall in the U.S., African American infants still die at twice the rate of white infants. The social determinants of health that affect pregnancy outcomes include income, education, employment and housing. Each of these factors can contribute to higher levels of stress during pregnancy.

Dr. Bond’s research builds upon previous research showing that paternal involvement (involvement of fathers) may be a significant factor in determining the prenatal health of infants, which in turn affects their likelihood of survival. Dr. Bond’s research aims to determine how paternal involvement of African American fathers can reduce the rate of infant mortality, and how to increase African American fathers’ involvement during the prenatal period. He also stresses the importance of preconception care for men, in the form education, health promotion, and routine physical exams.

With funding from the Office of Minority Health, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies-Health Policy Institute created the Commission on Paternal Involvement in Pregnancy Outcomes (CPIPO) in 2009 to raise awareness of the issue of paternal involvement in pregnancy outcomes. CPIPO is a trans-disciplinary group of scholars from the social sciences

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 21

PANELISTS and public health community to help inform research, practice and policy, and to raise awareness regarding paternal involvement.

CPIPO has developed several recommendations to inform the research agenda in this area, and to affect current practices and policies as well. One research recommendation includes urging the National Institutes of Health to expand their efforts and support for research of paternal involvement, especially in the African American community. Concerning current practices, the CPIPO recommends dissemination of best practices for involvement during the periods before, during, and beyond pregnancy, and that practitioners make more effort to address the needs, emotions and concerns of fathers. Another recommendation is that organizations such as the Joint Commission and American Hospital Association promote more father-friendly hospital settings, practices, and policies. Finally, policy recommendations include amending the Family and Medical Leave Act to include paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers.

ENSURING HEALTH PARITY FOR ASIAN AMERICANS, NATIVE HAWAIIANS, AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS: DR. ARNAB MUKHERJEA Dr. Mukherjea spoke on disparities issues affecting the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations. As with the earlier speakers, Dr. Mukherjea referenced income, education, and employment as a few of the social determinants of health that affect these populations. This is especially true when disaggregating data to the level of country of origin.

Some subgroups may have much higher rates of poverty, poor education, etc. than others, which may be masked when presented as an aggregated group. He strongly cautioned against the common practice of grouping all persons from Asia, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands into one large group, as the regions are extremely diverse. Asians alone come from more than 50 countries or regions, speak over 30 official languages, and practice more than 20 different religions.

Disaggregation is also important for reporting health disparities in these populations. Dr. Mukherjea highlighted data showing low rates of cancer incidence and mortality in these populations overall. However, when looking at more granular data, persistent cancer health disparities within certain segments of the population become more apparent.

In his talk, he also spoke about the benefits of community-based participatory research in addressing health disparities, as the community can best describe the social reality of their personal situations. Finally, Dr. Mukherjea urged the audience to capitalize on movements such as the Asian American Health Initiative in Montgomery County, as a progressive, communitybased model, which develops its program based upon feedback and input from the local community.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 22

PANELISTS

Afternoon panelists: Donald Shell, Eric Seleznow, and Myron Dean Quon (far right), with Moderator Rose Marie Martinez (center) and Afternoon Speaker Betina JeanLouis.

Afternoon Panel:

“Collaborative Initiatives and Community Engagement” Each panel speaker was asked to describe local programs or initiatives requiring cooperative efforts among community organizations, and discuss challenges, barriers, and best practices regarding how to engage local community partners to discuss the importance of addressing social determinants and support cooperative efforts. Each speaker had about 15 minutes to present and a moderator led a discussion after the panel presentations.

ADAM’S HOUSE:

DR. DONALD SHELL

Adam’s House is located in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and serves as a resource where adolescents and young adults in need can receive myriad health and social services. Adam’s House works with individuals to address any barriers they encounter that can impede their probability for employment and economic stability. These barriers may be financial, healthrelated, criminal justice-related, educational, or environmental in nature.

Dr. Shell recounted how, as a family physician volunteering in the public health department several years ago, he recognized a need to engage more men in their overall health and wellbeing. However, instead of waiting for men to come to the health department, the health department proactively decided to go to the places where men normally interact with other systems. These places include the criminal justice system (child support, parole and probation hearings), the school system, and the Department of Transportation. In doing this, they also discovered that many men felt angry, isolated and disenfranchised within their communities. As a result, Adam’s House was created to be a safe haven for young boys, men, and families, to come to express themselves, while improving access to many health, community and social services.

Other strategies involve improving men’s experiences at other County agencies. As one example, Adam’s House placed staff members in the men’s waiting room at child support hearings, to educate the men about the process and their rights. Now, they are able to provide in

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 23

PANELISTS -court consultations to judges in cases of delinquency, as well as provide follow-up support for men to facilitate compliance with child support orders. Adam’s House also works with men to help them find employment, battle substance abuse, deal with relationship issues, and become more active in the lives of their children. Their ultimate goal is to assist men with becoming active, productive and successful members of society.

SUBURBAN MARYLAND WELCOME BACK CENTER:

MR. ERIC SELEZNOW

Mr. Seleznow works in the area of labor and workforce development. Several years ago, the Latino Health Initiative in Montgomery County organized a coalition to meet two specific needs identified within the county: (1) address the health care workforce shortage, especially in the field of nursing, due in part to an aging workforce; and (2) address cultural competence in the health care workforce to meet the needs of the diverse patient population being served.

In tackling the first issue, the coalition realized that many immigrant women who had been trained as nurses and other medical professionals in their home countries were unable to get comparable jobs in Montgomery County. Many instead worked in less-skilled professions, such as housecleaning and food service. In response, the coalition helped remove barriers, helped engage other partners, engaged the business community, and eventually developed well-trained nursing candidates to go through English language refresher training and health care refresher training, and to get the necessary assistance to remove the barriers and go through the licensing process in the state of Maryland. This network eventually grew into the Welcome Back Center, which is part of a national, 10-center network that provides assistance for internationally trained health care workers who live in the United States. Mr. Seleznow highlighted the positive effects of this workforce investment not only on the workers, but on their families and the communities as well.

LANGUAGE ACCESS, COMMUNITY BUILDING, AND HEALTH DISPARITIES: MR. MYRON DEAN QUON Mr. Quon, a civil rights attorney, spoke about barriers faced by many Asian American communities in accessing health care, particularly their immigration status and the geographic and linguistic isolation that may go along with it. Mr. Quon also praised Montgomery County and Maryland for its current laws around language access services for residents with limited English proficiency, which are more progressive than many other states in the U.S. In particular, there are large communities of Bangladeshi, Nepali and Vietnamese residents in the local area.

Many of these residents may be political refugees, and often experience high levels of poverty and linguistic isolation.

The South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) and the Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association are two local organizations that collaborated with government entities and the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center to do a needs assessment of South Asians and Vietnamese living in the District of Columbia, respectively.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 24

NETWORKING ACTIVITY

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 25

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 26

NETWORKING ACTIVITY

INSTRUCTIONS: · · · · ·

Break into groups of about four people (at least one from a non-health domain) Assign Roles: Facilitator (guides group, keeps time) & Reporter (takes notes, reports output) Take 20 minutes total to answer each of the following questions Reporter should take notes on partnerships and strategies for debriefing with the whole group Conference planners will collect notes to disseminate in conference proceedings

Where do you work?

MD State Mental Hygiene Admin

Fund local Mental Health Authorities: children, adolescents, adults, and families

Latino Health Initiative

Welcome Back Center: work with nurses from other countries to get them certified

Health &Human Services

QUESTION ONE

Who is your target population?

Child Welfare Service. Target: youth, parents, and families

National Institute of Aging (NIH)

Elderly, Latinos, and Immigrant groups

Washington Adventist Hospital

Awareness & Fundraising for Hospital's Relocation. Target: local and national community

Montgomery County Health & Human Services

Division of School Health Service. Target: Child and Family (birth - 21)

Amerigroup Kaiser US Office of Minority Health WRTC - Washington Regional Transplant Community

Holy Cross Mammogram Assistant African American Health Program

Medicaid/Medicare population MD: multicultural competent care for MD and asthma Minority population, minority health Population is multi-cultural communities, importance of being an educated donor; stay off waiting lists Non-health representative: Community Assessment for Takoma Park area Uninsured, Under-Insured, Minority & Immigrant groups Black Community Montgomery County address health inequities

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 27

QUESTION THREE

QUESTION TWO

NETWORKING ACTIVITY

How would you explain the impact of your work on the health of the community?

Bridging the economic and cultural gap for underserved people in the community, particularly with health disparities.

Hoping to shift focus to population/community health from just individual health Helping people be healthy so they can succeed in their education AAHP: Education and prevention activities in Infant Mortality, Cardiovascular Care, Diabetes, & HIV/AIDS PCC: partner to leverage resources for the uninsured. Contribute to building infrastructure at the community level around data systems and reporting. Provide prevention/intervention through screening outreach and education related to cervical and breast cancer. Care coordination linking to other sources. Train future health professionals.

Who do you partner with currently?

How could you see our organizations working together to address social determinants of health?

Forming grass roots groups from all areas in community

Help people gain information and leverage resources

Book club

In community to promote discussion of health disparities

Commission on Health

The COH partners with many advisory commissions to add impact to key issues

PCC

Partners a lot, but needs to partner more from the bottom up, from the perspective of those impacted

Washington Adventist Hospital

End-of-life issues partnerships

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 28

2010 BLUE RIBBON AWARD

Chinese Culture and Community Service Center, Inc. (CCACC)

At the conference, the Center on Health Disparities presented the 2010 Blue Ribbon Award to the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC) in recognition for accomplishments in promoting health equity in our communities through collaboration and outreach. Mr. Edvin Chow, Executive Director, made brief remarks and accepted the award on behalf of the CCACC.

BACKGROUND CCACC is a 501(c)(3) volunteer non-profit and non-partisan organization serving the greater Washington D.C. area. Established in 1982, it has grown to become an organization of over 1000 family members. With a motto of “Together We Can”, CCACC promotes culturally- and linguistically- conscious activities, advancing understanding of the Asian Americans community’s diverse cultures and backgrounds, and implements innovative health, education, and social programs. CCACC fosters partnerships with numerous community- and faith- based organizations, public agencies, and the private sector to develop services aimed at reduce disparities and barriers due to language or culture. Collaborators have included the US Census Bureau, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mid-Atlantic Equality Association, Montgomery County Senior Health Insurance Program, Asian American Health Initiative, and United Way. To meet the needs of the community, CCACC created seven program focus areas: Education, Culture & Arts, Health Services, Community Services, Senior Services, Sports & Fitness, and Youth.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 29

2010 BLUE RIBBON AWARD

HEALTH PROGRAMS AND SERVICES Since 2003, CCACC has operated the Pan Asian Volunteer Health Clinic (PAVHC), a community clinic within the Montgomery Cares network. The PAVHC provides linguistically and culturally sensitive, high quality primary care service to low income and uninsured Montgomery County residents, with a predominantly Asian American clientele. The clinic is staffed by multilingual and multicultural volunteer physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and clinic assistants of various ethnic backgrounds. Open every Friday, the PAVHC serves approximately 500 unduplicated patients annually, totaling approximately 800 visits each year.

Established September 2008, CCACC’s Adult Day Health Care Program (ADHC) serves Montgomery County seniors and adults with disabilities. The structured comprehensive program provides health, social and other related support services (e.g., nursing care, medicine management, doctor visits, therapeutic exercise, health seminar, arts & crafts) to over 170 low income residents, mostly Chinese Americans over the age of 80. While there are several Medical Day Care centers in the County, prior to 2008, very few Chinese Americans participated due to language and cultural barriers. The establishment of this program addresses such challenges to promote a happier and healthier community.

Both the PAVHC and the ADHC are successful models aimed to improving health care, access, treatment, or outcomes among Chinese and other Asian American communities in the DCmetropolitan area. In addition to health-specific programs, CCACC also provides a Chinese language and culture school for non-Chinese speaking families, adult ESOL classes, citizenship classes for recent immigrants, and a Parent Resource Center and Parents as Liaison to Schools (PALS) program, just to name a few. CCACC also provides general referral services to help more than 1,000 clients through their help line. Moreover, CCACC has been awarded community grants to support capacity-building, adult English literacy, and senior nutrition.

Contact: Mr. Edvin Chow Executive Director Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC), Inc. 16039 Comprint Circle Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Tel: 240-631-1200 www.ccacc-dc.org

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 30

SUMMARY

Conference Evaluation Summary

The Center on Health Disparities’ Fourth Annual Conference on Health Disparities was a huge success. More than 250 people attended the meeting and represented a number of local, state, and national organizations. Per the conference theme of addressing the social determinants of health, the Center on Health Disparities made a concerted effort to invite individuals from a myriad of sectors, including social services, law, and policy. Approximately 40% of the conference attendees represented non-health related fields.

Throughout the day, conference attendees positively commented on the high quality of presentations and program outline. Feedback received from online evaluations following the conference also reflected positive impressions. Nearly 60% of the conference attendees completed an extensive online survey tool shortly after the conclusion of the Fourth Annual Conference.

Almost all survey respondents (94%) agreed that the annual conference topic and presentations were relevant to their work. Most survey respondents also enjoyed the conference presenters, panelists, and moderators. For some conference participants, learning about the social determinants of health was new and eye-opening.

One survey respondent commented:

Highlights

 More than 250 people attended

 Approximately 40% of the conference attendees represented non-health related fields.

“I was very surprised to learn how having transportation, grocery stores, some kind of restaurants, etc. actually determine[s] health disparities, because of access to healthy practices.”

 Nearly 60% of the confer-

Another respondent noted that, “I learned about place and race [and]…that where you live determines your health outcome[s].”

 Nearly 75% of the survey

Another common idea expressed among survey respondents is the need for collaboration to address health disparities.

ence attendees completed an extensive online survey tool respondents found the networking activity useful

“The most important thing I learned at the conference is that each of us has the power to produce the change we wish to see regarding health inequities, but only if we work

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 31

SUMMARY collaboratively with other health and community experts, and if have the support from all levels of our specific entities.”

Organizations working together is crucial to eliminating health disparities because of the “interconnectedness between social and economic factors and a state of health and wellbeing.”

rganizations working together is crucial to eliminating health disparities.

Similarly, another respondent noted that “[e]verything is interconnected. We all have a duty to fight health inequities.”

Nearly 75% of the survey respondents felt that the networking activity held during lunch was useful; however, many also felt that the activity yielded insufficient time to connect with other conference attendees.

One respondent simply noted that “the networking activity was too brief.” Other respondents echoed similar responses, indicating that “[a]ny ways to increase networking are very helpful.”

A number or respondents also noted a need to be more engaged as conference participants. Perhaps the most comprehensive comment speaking to this issue is the following: Conference attendees talking together.

“[We] could use guidance on steps to forming partnerships, networks, and coalitions. [We] could [also] benefit from role plays demonstrating how organizations with differing agendas come together and can struggle to find acceptable partnership arrangements and ways to address this issue.”

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 32

ANALYSIS AND RECOMENDATIONS

Analysis and Recommendations The 2010 Annual Health Disparities Conference served as a forum for researchers, policymakers, and other community stakeholders to engage in pertinent discussions about current and future strategies for addressing health disparities. Several recommendations came out of questions posed to our speakers/panelists, as well as the general Question & Answer (Q&A) sessions. Here, we present a summary of the ideas and recommendations put forth and, where appropriate, how we plan to incorporate them into our organizational strategic plan.

The morning keynote speaker and the panelists presented data to demonstrate the effect of social determinants on health and health disparities. The presentations featured previously collected data and ongoing research, including those that focused on specific demographic populations, such as men, Latino youth, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders. A major theme that emerged during the morning Q&A sessions was the importance of disaggregating data on race and ethnicity down to the most granular level possible. Several attendees expressed dismay that people from different routinely get lumped into one category. As an major theme that regions example, people born in the Caribbean who immigrate to the U.S., and persons of African descent born in the U.S., emerged during the often all categorized as “African Americans,” morning Q&A sessions are although their experiences in the U.S. may be very was the importance of different. Similarly, when persons born in China, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam are all lumped into disaggregating data on Korea, the category of “Asian American,” it can mask the race and ethnicity characteristics specific to only one group.

down to the most granular level possible.

The Center on Health Disparities agrees that when analyzing health disparities by race and ethnicity, the most granular data should be utilized and reported, to the extent the data are available. Adventist HealthCare currently collects patients’ race, ethnicity (Hispanic and non-Hispanic), ethnic group (e.g., Chinese, Ethiopian, Salvadorian), language preference, and country of origin. The Center is currently working closely with several other departments during the development and implementation of our new platform for electronic medical records, expected to go live in September 2011. In alignment with new regulations from the Joint Commission, the new platform will have the functionality to capture and report not only granular race/ethnicity data, language preference, and county of origin, but provision of qualified interpreter services as well. This will allow us to examine our patient population with more specificity, and better identify health disparities within our patient population that need to

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 33

ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

y focusing on protective factors that are prevalent in communities that are thriving, we can work to replicate these models in our own communities, hopefully with the same positive outcomes.

be addressed. We would encourage other organizations that study health disparities to also re-examine current methods of data collection, and identify opportunities for improvement as well.

In a related theme, an attendee expressed disappointment that the majority of health disparities research has focused primarily on Latino and African American health issues, while significantly less attention has been given to disparities in Native Americans/ American Indians. Data have shown that disparities in this population are a significant problem, particularly related to obesity, alcohol abuse, and depression. Continued attention to disparities in this population is warranted, although small numbers may make it difficult to draw strong conclusions. In fact, recent 2010 Census data shows that American Indians and Native Alaskans account for approximately 0.4% of the Maryland population.

Finally, a panelist commented on the fact that research often operates from a deficit model, asking questions such as “What are the needs in our communities?”, “What are the health issues our communities face?”, “What are the disparities we observe in our communities?” An alternative approach is to consider any protective factors that may be present and at work in other communities. By focusing on protective factors that are prevalent in communities that are thriving, we can work to replicate these models in our own communities, hopefully with the same positive outcomes. One example would be the approach of Promise Academy Charter Schools used in the Harlem’s Children Zone. The HCZ Promise Academy Charter Schools, created to provide a safe, enriching environment, have achieved significant success in closing some academic achievement gaps seen in New York City. Results have shown that students in the elementary school eliminate racial test score gaps in math and language arts by the third grade. Likewise, students in the middle school eliminate gaps in math and significantly narrow them in English language arts. Adapting the HCZ model in different communities is one approach to eliminating these racial education gaps and promoting academic success for the most vulnerable populations.

In summary, the morning presentations underscored the importance of identifying social determinants that affect racial/ethnic minorities, and other underserved populations, such as those categorized as low socio-economic status. We encourage those who focus on this area to continue working to identify non-health factors that impact health outcomes for your particular community of interest.

The afternoon keynote speaker, Betina Jean-Louis, is the Director of Evaluation for the Harlem Children’s Zone. The three panelists in the afternoon spoke about their respective

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 34

ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

organizations, all of which strive to address some of the social determinants and disparities highlighted in the morning session.

Following the presentations, the afternoon’s moderator opened the discussion by posing a question about the strategies and challenges of developing successful collaborations and partnerships. In response, speakers discussed the importance of building trust among partners early on in the relationship, the importance of information sharing, and allowing time to observe measurable outcomes. One panelist also stressed the importance of having a healthy workforce in order for any business to thrive. He gave an example of how his organization gives preemployment physicals to individuals before referring them to a partner organization for a job. This also works to build trust between the two organizations, since the employing organization knows that the individual they are accepting is both able and willing to work.

An attendee also posed a question about how to combat the problem of drug dealing/abuse in the community. In response, a panelist related involvement in drugs with decreased educational attainment and opportunities for employment. He discussed the importance of identifying at-risk children as early as possible, and how his organization works to identify and help young men who are having trouble performing well in a traditional school system. He posits that by improving their educational and employment opportunities, you may decrease their risk for becoming involved in drugs.

A final afternoon dialogue focused on how organizations could identify resources to help maintain the sustainability of these programs. A panelist mentioned that Montgomery County, in particular, enjoys a high level of civic engagement, which helps, but acknowledged that in these economic times, securing funding may be especially difficult. Dr. Jean-Louis also mentioned her organization’s decreased dependence on public (government) funds compared to the past, due to the current economic climate.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 35

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 36

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Future Directions Left to Right: Deidre Washington, Marcos Pesquera, Marilyn Lynk, Eme Martin, Sonia Portillo, and Talya Frelick

BACKGROUND In 2007, Adventist HealthCare established the Center on Health Disparities, part of its Vision for Expanded Access, to help achieve health equity by reducing and eliminating health disparities in the communities it serves. Based on recommendations from a Blue Ribbon Panel of experts, the Center was organized into three focus areas: Education and Training, Research, and Health Care Services. Since its inception, the Center has hosted an annual conference as part of its overall mission. Each conference and corresponding annual report has included information related to best practices and progress in each of the focus areas. The annual conferences serve to inform community stakeholders of relevant and timely topics relating to the elimination of health disparities in our communities. Speakers at our conferences have included researchers, policy experts, health care providers, and others from various areas including academia, government agencies, and health care organizations. Previous conferences (2007–2010) have addressed topics including the importance of developing community partnerships and collecting data to combat disparities, implementation of cultural and linguistic competence programs throughout Adventist HealthCare entities, and how social determinants such as education, employment, and the environment contribute to the health of people and communities.

Keeping with shifting paradigms in strategies to eliminate health disparities, our Fifth Annual Health Disparities Conference on November 2, 2011, aims to (1) educate health care providers and community partners about the provisions of the Patient Protection and Accountability Care Act that target low-income and minority Qualified Bilingual Staff Training held Depopulations, (2) receive input from federal and state cember 2010 at Washington Adventist Hosleaders regarding progress in health care reform implementation, and (3) provide health care leaders with pital’s Conference Center.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 37

FUTURE DIRECTIONS ideas on community and state-level best practices for implementing provisions of health care reform that will help us achieve health equity.

STRATEGIC PLAN As part of our charge to raise community awareness, improve capacity, and develop solutions to eliminate local disparities in health care, we aim to continue developing and implementing activities related to our three strategic areas. The Center is always interested in establishing partnerships and expanding its education and training offerings, research program, and healthcare services. The following sections highlight some of our current and future efforts.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS. The Center develops and offers classes and programs to train providers and institutions in ways to improve cultural and linguistic competence, and to increase awareness of the Center on Health Disparities’ activities within the community. Since 2007, the Center has developed and delivered classroom and web-based cultural competency training modules to equip community physicians, nurses, and other health care staff with information and enhance their ability to communicate effectively with patients from diverse cultural backgrounds and to provide patientcentered and equitable care. Furthermore, the Center provides a growing Qualified Bilingual Staff Program to train and certify bilingual health care staff on proper language interpreting skills to better meet the needs of limited English proficient patients.

These programs improve the organization’s ability to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate care In partnership with the Maryland Hospital Assoand services and comply with legal requirements and ciation, Adventist HealthCare’s Center on Health Disparities and Kaiser Permanente hosted a Fastandards of care (e.g., Office of Minority Health’s cilitator Training of the Qualified Bilingual Staff CLAS standards and The Joint Commission’s Program for other hospitals throughout the state patient-centered communication standards for 2011). of Maryland on August 23–27, 2010.

The Center will continue providing language interpreting and cultural competence training sessions to providers and staff within as well as outside of Adventist HealthCare to increase awareness of racial and ethnic disparities in health care, eliminate cultural and linguistic barriers

5TH ANNUAL HEALTH DISPARITIES CONFERENCE NOVEMBER 2, 2011

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 38

FUTURE DIRECTIONS during clinical encounters, and improve the quality of care throughout our communities. Current strategies related to education include: expanding core curricula using web-based learning technology and focusing on specific health conditions such as cancer and diabetes; evaluating educational programs; training lead facilitators throughout Adventist HealthCare to leverage Center on Health Disparities expertise; and devising a marketing agenda and strategy for the Center.

RESEARCH INITIATIVES. The Center conducts, supports, and participates in innovative community-based research on health disparities and effective strategies to promote health equity. In 2008–2009, Adventist HealthCare and other hospitals in Montgomery County participated in the Montgomery County Hospital Care Equity Initiative (facilitated by the Brookings Institution’s Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform), which was designed to review aggregate hospital performance data in order to measure and monitor health disparities at the local level. As part of this effort, the Center provided training to hospital employees who collect patient data (e.g., race/ethnicity and language) to monitor the patient population and health outcomes, address patient concerns and barriers to quality care, and ensure that all patients receive the highest quality of care and best services possible. Now, in addition to collecting patient data including race, ethnicity, country of origin, and language preference, Adventist HealthCare hospitals collect information about patients’ communication needs (including foreign language interpretation or services for hearing impaired). All of this information is essential to facilitate effective communication and provide appropriate healthcare and services.

Moving forward, the Center will collect and analyze data, and use research findings on health disparities to implement evidence-based health care practices within Adventist HealthCare and statewide. Strategies will include: monitoring changing population demographics locally and nationally; recruiting clinical and community advisors to develop and pursue a research strategy; pursuing partnerships with leading academic, grant-making, and policy-setting institutions; and seeking external funding for targeted initiatives. In 2011, the Center will prepare an internal Health Equity Report that will present an overview of the patient populations at Washington Adventist and Shady Grove Adventist Hospitals in Montgomery County stratified by race, ethnicity, preferred

Montgomery County Health and Human Services healthcare employees attending a Center on Health Disparities Cultural Competence Class (October 2008).

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 39

FUTURE DIRECTIONS language, and relevant health and quality outcomes. This report will help identify and address disparities that affect people, families, and communities that Adventist HealthCare serves.

HEALTH CARE SERVICES. The Center has been fortunate to be a part of Adventist HealthCare’s Vision for Expanded Access and be supported financially by the organization to ensure that quality care is available to everyone who seeks it. Expanding access to care for our communities is a critical part of Adventist HealthCare’s strategic plan.

For example, face-to-face interpreting, telephone language interpreting, video remote interpreting for the deaf, Qualified Bilingual Staff Interpreters, and translation services are available for staff serving patients with hearing loss or those who speak little or no English. While training for staff on how to access, use, and document utilization of language services effectively is currently provided for clinical staff only, the Center plans on reaching out to physicians throughout the system as well (e.g., Grand Rounds presentations and MediScene articles). In line with the organization’s mission, the Center will continue to focus on increasing language access by ensuring that patients’ communication needs are met and monitored to ensure quality care.

Dr. Deidre Washington presenting a module on diversity and cultural competency to healthcare educators as part of a Facilitator Training Program in Elkridge, MD (August 2010).

The Center acknowledges and is grateful to other organizations that support its mission and activities. Kaiser Permanente has provided funding to support the Center’s initiatives including annual health disparities conferences in 2008 and 2009, and the Qualified Bilingual Staff Train-the-Trainer Program in 2010. In November that same year, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services co-sponsored and provided funding for the Center’s annual health disparities conference.

The Center hopes to identify and receive additional resources in the future from private and public foundations, government agencies, and other organizations in order to expand its programs and activities throughout the region.

The Center hopes to serve as the catalyst for all of Adventist HealthCare’s efforts to expand and improve services to underserved communities.

Future strategies to improve our services include: forming an Adventist HealthCare Health Equity Council to ensure that all services and outreach incorporate culturally competent best practices to reduce health disparities and reach the underserved, and developing an integrated measurement and reporting strategy to assess the impact of Adventist HealthCare’s many outreach programs on community health and health equity. We also plan to further partner with our community clinics to assess and evaluate current and future programs in order to identify successful practices and help with dissemination.

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 40

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

OUTREACH/DISSEMINATION In addition to our annual conference, we have several other vehicles to keep staff, community members, and partners informed. Within Adventist HealthCare, we regularly publish articles in the PRISM (all-staff monthly newsletter) and MediScene (physician newsletter), two of our internal publications. Recently, we began a bimonthly feature in PRISM titled “Spotlight on Health Equity”, designed to raise awareness and knowledge about topics regarding equity in health care services for diverse populations. In addition to publishing annual progress reports on topics related to eliminating health disparities, we will continue to pursue opportunities to write and publish scholarly articles on our cultural and linguistic programs and evaluation, data collection and analysis, and other research activities. These activities will support our goal to expand our programs in the community.

Furthermore, in 2011 the Center began distributing a monthly newsletter that focuses on health topics highlighted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, drawing unique attention to the vulnerable populations Adventist HealthCare serves. The newsletter is available on the Center’s website under Additional Resources. The Center on Health Disparities website (http://www.adventisthealthcare.com/healthdisparities/index.aspx) is regularly updated with information on the Center’s activities and publications, including upcoming events and resources. In addition, the Center maintains a Facebook page that highlights community partnerships and Center activities and features current information on strategies and research on eliminating health disparities (http://www.facebook.com/ HealthDisparities). The Center will continue staying current with ever-evolving technology and social media to disseminate information about its activities.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Over the past several years, the Center has provided internship opportunities to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students interested in public health and health disparities, particularly to increase minority student interest and participation in health care, public health, health services research, and related fields. The internship program helps students develop the skills necessary to progress to the next stage of their career/education. One project achieved in collaboration with the

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 41

FUTURE DIRECTIONS Center is the Teen Ambassadors against Health Disparities project (see http:// www.endhealthdisparities.org/ index.html). The purpose of this project is to create awareness of health inequality and improve overall health among teens through a network or peer educators. The center will continue to offer opportunities to students interested in cultural competence, health care and services, and health disparities research.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Top Row (left to right): Farrell Sheehan, Charles Li, Mason Pesquera, and Jarrod Sheehan Sitting (left to right): Amalia Oven, Marisol Pesquera, Sewit Haile, Ariana Reguerin, and Makaela Jones

Over the years, the Center has partnered with many organizations to make quality health care and services accessible to people in our community. Some of our partners include Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services, Mobile Med, Kaiser Permanente, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Mary’s Center, Mercy Health Clinic, University of Maryland College Park School of Public Health, and Primary Care Coalition. The Center seeks to increase funding to expand its ability to collaborate with community partners and address health disparities and related issues such as providing local residents with the knowledge and ability to create healthy, thriving communities (e.g., Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research or CHEER). Current partnerships will continue in the future to provide health care education and social services for local families, including those needing access to primary care (e.g., Mobile Medical Care) and prenatal care (e.g., Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care, Montgomery County Maternal Partnerships Program). Also, the Center will continue to pursue partnerships with other health care organizations seeking to assess and improve their ability to provide culturally competent care to a diverse patient population through strategic plan development and implementation.

Left to Right: Bill Robertson, Margaret O’Bryon, Marcos Pesquera, and Uma Ahluwalia

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 42

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST

Conference Attendees List On behalf of the Center on Health Disparities and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Minority Health Initiatives, we would like to thank all who attended and supported our conference. The conference was a success not only because it offered opportunities to learn and share with one another, but also because a great number of individuals from health care and non-health sectors alike participated actively in the event.

In the pages to follow, we have provided a list of all the conference attendees, their respective organizations, and their contact email addresses. We encourage continuing knowledge-sharing and partnering among individuals and across organizations from both within the health sector and across non-health sectors to reduce the impact of health disparities.

Join us as we Partner Toward a Healthier Future!

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 43

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name Adeyemi Aguirre Akindana

First Name Adebayo Luis

Organization Adventist Healthcare

Email AdebayoAdeyemi@ adventisthealthcare.com

Latino Health Initiative Luis.aguirre@montgomerycountymd.gov

Adeola

Health Beam Outreach

Alam

Naila

University of Maryland

NailaJasmine@gmail.com

Alfaro

Jennie

Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County

Alfaro.jennie@gmail.com

Amaya

Jose

Latino Health Initiative

Jose.amaya@montgomerycountymd.gov

Ndidi

Morgan State University/W.K.Kellogg Foundation

Ndidiamaka.amutah@morgan.edu

Ayodola

The Brookings Institution

aanise@brookings.edu

Ted

UMB School of Nursing/AH&W

Taranet1@gmail.com

Archie

Tammie

MIMRP Minority Infant Mortality Reduction Project

Tammie.archie@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Artiles

Ligia

NIMHD

artilesl@mail.nih.gov

Arunan

Shelvan

Adventist Healthcare

sarunan@adventisthealthcare.com

Thewodros

Adventist Healthcare

tasfaw@ahm.com

Adeline

Genesis HealthCare

Addy_uva@yahoo.com

Kathy

Montgomery College

kawkard@msn.com

Azam

Irim

Non-applicable

Irim.azam@gmail.com

Baker

Bruce

CHEER

bruce@communitycheer.org

Balkwill

Mary

Holy Cross Hospital

balkwilm@holycrosshealth.org

Ballenger

Keith

Adventist Healthcare

kballeng@ahm.com

Bankins

Kieva

University of Maryland School of Social Work

kabankins@yahoo.com

Battle

Yusef

The Fit Solution

yusef@fitsolution.org

Bawa

Julie

US DHHS-HRSA

jbawa@hrsa.gov

Beane

Mary

Montgomery County DHHS

beaneml@comcast.net

AmutahHardrick Anise Araneta

Asfaw Assani-Uva Awkard

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 44

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

First Name

Organization

Email

Clark

Roger

Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Roger.clark@novartis.com

Cogan

Mary

Adventist Healthcare

mcogan@ahm.com

Coleman

Andrea

Montgomery County DHHS

Andrea.coleman@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Colombus

Norma

Latino Health Initiative—Montgomery County

Gianina.hasbun@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Sara-May

Adventist Healthcare

tasfaw@ahm.com

Jeffrey

CooperSoft

csft@aol.com

Courtney

Barbara

Adventist Healthcare

bcourtne@ahm.com

Cunningham

Jennifer

Univ. at Shady Grove

jroth@son.umaryland.edu

Karen

DCHSI

kdale@chartered-health.com

DankwaMullan

Irene

NIMHD

dankwamullani@mail.nih.gov

Dasgupta

Debarati

Adventist Healthcare

ddasgupt@ahm.com

Terrie

Lifebridge Health

tdashiel@lifebridgehealth.org

Kate

Montgomery General Hospital

kdavis@montgomerygeneral.com

Dawes

Daniel

Premier Healthcare Alliance

Daniel.dawes@gmail.com

DeCosmo

Jeanne

Maryland Hospital Association

jdecosmo@mhaonline.org

Rosalinda

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce MC

rdelgado@hccmc.org

Ken

Adventist Healthcare

kdestefa@ahm.com

Donna Frederick County Health Department

ddevilbiss@frederickcountymd.gov

Colon Cooper

Dale

Dashiell Davis

Delgado DeStefano Devilbiss Dhru Dorsey Douge

Karishma

Asian American Health Initiative

Karishma.dhru@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Rashida

Department of Health and Human Services

Rashida.dorsey@hhs.gov

Jackie Frederick County Health Department

jdouge@frederickcountymd.gov

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 45

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

First Name

Organization

Email

Driver

Monika

Holy Cross Hospital

driver@holycrosshealth.org

Dupuy

Jannette

HRSA

jdupuy@hrsa.gov

Edwards

Tiffany

Adventist Healthcare

tedwards@ahm.com

Emery

Susan

Circle of Rights, Inc.

susan@circleofrights.org

Eng

Kellie

Universities at Shady Grove

jroth@son.umaryland.edu

Jonathan

MedStar Health

Jonathan.everett@medstar.net

Oluwatoyin

Maryland Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities

TFatogun@dhmh.state.md.us

Paola

Montgomery County DHHS

Paola.fernan-zegarra@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Cherline

FCPS

Cherline.fleurant@fcps.org

Flood

Sharon

MCDHHS/PHS/ DENNIS AVE HEALTH CENTER

Sharon.flood@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Ford

Tierra

Pfizer, Inc.

Tierra.s.ford@pfizer.com

Fowler

Michelle

Greater Baden Medical Sevices, Inc.

mfowler@gbms.org

Frelick

Talya

Center on Health Disparities at Adventist Healthcare

tfrelick@ahm.com

Wendy

Holy Cross Hospital

friarw@holycrosshealth.org

Garvey

Carol

Garvey Associates, Inc.

cgarvey@garveyassociates.com

Gary-Williams

Gene

National Society of Allied Health

ggarywilliams@gmail.com

Gayer

Rabbi Elie

Adventist Healthcare

tasfaw@ahm.com

Gerald

Tonya

DECO Recovery Management

tgerald@decorm.com

Glass

Rachel

MCAEL

rglass@mcael.org

Glazer

Emily

Health Education Consultants

emglazer@gmail.com

Glover

Susan

Adventist Healthcare

sglover@ahm.com

Gobern

Nailah

Everett Fatogun

Fernan-Zegarra Fleurant

Friar

Primary Care Coalition Nailah_gobern@primarycarecoalition.org

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 46

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name Goldwater

First Name

Organization

Email

Shannon

Pfizer, Inc.

sgoldwater@aol.com

Maria

Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care

smorales@maryscenter.org

Goodwin

Jana

University of Maryland School of Nursing

jgoodwin@son.umaryland.edu

Goodwin

Bill

Montgomery Co. Dept. of Health and Human Services

Bill.goodwin@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Goudeaux

Lauren

Science Educational Equity Program

Lauren.goudeaux@gmail.com

Gould-Kostka

Jeanine

Montgomery County DHHS/PHS

Jeanine.gould-kostka@mail.house.gov

Pat

NCNW, Montgomery County, MD

patsygrn@yahoo.com

Astrid

Self Employed

aeportillo89@yahoo.com

Christopher

Adventist Healthcare

chall@ahm.com

Marcus

Breath of Life SDA

drsquire@mac.com

Ana

DHHS-Latino Health Initiative

Ana.harvey@montgomerycountymd.gov

Robin

HHS/HRSA/MCHB

rharwood@hrsa.gov

Gianina

Latino Health Initiative (Montgomery County DHHS)

Gianina.hasbun@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Diane

SGA Radiation Oncology Center

dhastings@sgaroc.com

LaMar

SAMHSA

LaMar.Henderson@samhsa.hhs.gov

Francisca

DHHS/Public Health

Aleida.herlihy@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Jose

Adventist Healthcare

jhernand@adventisthealthcare.com

Herron

Diane

African American Health Program

Diane.herron@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Higgins

Shelby

Frederick County MD Health Department

shiggins@frederickcountymd.gov

Keisher

DHHS/HRSA

khighsmith@hrsa.gov

Kimberly

DHMH

khiner@dhmh.state.md.us

Gomez

Grant Guerrero Portillo Hall Harris Harvey Harwood Hasbun

Hastings Henderson Herlihy Hernandez

Highsmith Hiner

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 47

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

First Name

Organization

Email

Hodge

Mark

Montgomery County DHHS

Mark.hodge@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Hodge

Edmund

Adventist Healthcare

ehodge@ahm.com

Eusi BETAH Associates, Inc.

eusiholt@yahoo.com

Holt Huang Ibidapo

Illig Ireland

Irving

Susan

Human Health Service Montgomery County

Susan.huang@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Oluwaseyi

University of North Caroline—Chapel Hill, NC

Seyi.ibidapo@gmail.com

Debra

Adventist Healthcare

dillig@ahm.com

Jane

Montgomery County Jane.ireland@montgomerycountymd.gov Health and Human Services

Shalon Morgan State University

drshalonirving@gmail.com

Jackson

Saundra

The African American Health Program

Saundra.jackson@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Jackson

Arva

African-American Health Program

arva3jak@juno.com

James-Taylor

Terrie

Montgomery Hospice

Tjames-taylor@montgomeryhospice.org

Jarquin

Myrna

Montgomery County Government

Myrna.jarquin@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Jenkins

Rosa

Montgomery County Health Department

Rosa.jenkins@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Jenkins

Cheryl Lynn

Montgomery County Dept. of Health and Human Services

Cheryl.l.jenkins@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Jepson

Robert

Adventist Healthcare

rjepson@adventisthealthcare.com

Johnson

Kim

MCDHHS/PHS-CHN

Kim.johnson@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Kaempfer

Lisa

Hillcrest SBHC

LKaempfer@frederickcountymd.gov

Esther

Adventist Healthcare

ekravitz@adventisthealthcare.com

Abdulaziz

MCC Medical Clinic

abdulzekaria@yahoo.com

Mariano

University of Maryland College Park

marianokanamori@hotmail.com

Elyse

Adventist Healthcare

ekaplan@ahm.com

Kaleko-Kravitz Kamus Kanamori Kaplan

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 48

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name Kaseman Kaufmann

Kelly Kessel, MD, MPH

First Name

Organization

Email

Mansfield

CTIS

mkaseman@aol.com

Barbara

Montgomery County Department of Economic Development

Barbara.kaufmann@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Evelyn CASA de Maryland, Inc.

ekelly@casamd.org

Woodie

University of Maryland

wkessel@gmail.com

Khalil

Shaiza

Asian American Health Initiative

Shaiza.khalil@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Knirr

Sandra

Adventist Healthcare

sknirr@adventisthealthcare.com

Jean

AAHI

jeankokogyi@yahoo.com

Lam

Betty

Montgomery County DHHS

Betty.lam@montgomerycountymd.gov

Lazo

Reina

Adventist Healthcare

rlazo@adventisthealthcare.com

Lee

James

Adventist Healthcare

jlee@ahm.com

Lesesne

Evette

Montgomery County MD DHHS

elesesne1@aol.com

Li

Ned

CCACC

nedli@mris.com

Litchy

Judy

Adventist Healthcare

jlitchy@ahm.com

Lipsy

Barry

Adventist Healthcare

blipsy@adventisthealthcare.com

Lockley

Brenda

Montgomery County DHHS

Brenda.lockley@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Long

Loretta IMPACT—Silver Spring

Lorettam.long@gmail.com

Ko Ko Gyi

Lowery

Carolyn

CommonHealth ACTION

clowery@commonhealthaction.org

Lydic

Brent

Adventist Healthcare

blydic@ahm.com

Lynk

Marilyn

Center on Health Disparities at Adventist Healthcare

mlynk@ahm.com

Madrid

Dina

Adventist Healthcare

dmadrid@ahm.com

Malone

Christine

Universities at Shady Grove

jroth@son.umaryland.edu

Laurie

Montgomery County DHHS

Lauries manners@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Manners

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 49

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name Manning

First Name

Organization

Email

Leticia

DHHS/HRSA

lmanning@hrsa.gov

Martin

Ruth

Montgomery County DHHS

Ruth.martin@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Martin

Emeobong

Center on Health Disparities at Adventist Healthcare

emartin2@ahm.com

Luis

MC Dept. of Health and Human Services

Luis.martinez@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Patricia Northern Virginia Health Foundation

pmathews@novahealthfdn.org

Martinez Mathews Mbollo

Suzanne

MC Department of Health and Human Services

Suzanne.mbollo@ montgomerycountymd.gov

McBride

Kimberly

Holy Cross Hospital

mcbrik@holycrosshealth.org

McCann

Monica

Maryland Office of Minority Health

mmccann@dhmh.state.md.us

Judy

Inova Health Systems

Judy.mccoy@inova.org

Nicole

National Quality Forum

nmcelveen@qualityforum.org

Medina

Ruby

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

Ruby.medina@carefirst.com

Mendizabal

Mark

Adventist Healthcare

Tasfaw@ahm.com

Gabriela

University of Maryland

Gabriela.molinolo@gmail.com

Moore

Amy

Community Clinic, Inc.

amoorer@cciweb.org

Mora

Sonia

DHHS Latino Health Initiative

Sonia.mora@montgomerycountymd.gov

Morgan

Geoff

Adventist Healthcare

gmorgan@ahm.com

Mosby

LaJoy

OMH Resources Center

lmosby@minorityhealth.hhs.gov

Dan Moskowitz & Associates

dnmosk@gmail.com

McCoy McElveen

Molinolo

Moskowitz Munoz

Emma

Language Matters

emmamunoz@verizon.net

Mukherjea

Arnab

Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education

amukherjea@berkeley.edu

Musa

Jengo

Adventist Healthcare

jmusa@adventisthealthcare.com

Joy

BETAH Associates, In.

jnathan@betah.com

Nathan

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 50

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name Norman O’Bryon

First Name

Organization

Regina University of the District of Columbia

Email rnoeman@udc.edu

Margaret

Consumer Health Foundation

mobryon@consumerhealthfdn.org

O’Connor

Sheilah

Montgomery County DHHS

sheilahoconnor@yahoo.com

O’Connor

Mary

Governor’s Workforce Investment Board

moconnor@gwib.state.md.us

O’Neill

Kevin

Adventist Healthcare

koneil@adventisthealthcare.com

Eberechukwu

University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

eonukwug@rx.umaryland.edu

Ostrowski

Jacqueline

Adventist Healthcare

Ostrowski.j.a@gmail.com

Pangilinan

Caterina

Adventist Healthcare

cpangili@ahm.com

Pauk

Jennifer

Primary Care Coalition

Jennifer_pauk@primarycarecoalition.org

Pearre

Collette

Hillcrest SBHC

cpearre@frederickcountymd.gov

Pesquera

Marcos

Center on Health Disparities at Adventist Healthcare

mpesquer@ahm.com

Pichardo

Angeles

Latino Health Initiative

Gianina.hasbun@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Aisha

Maryland Health Care Commission

apittman@mhcc.state.md.us

Ben

Novartis

Benjamin.pitts@novartis.com

Portillo

Martin

MAPMG-KPMAS

Martin.a.portillo@kp.org

Portillo

Sonia

Center on Health Disparities at Adventist Healthcare

sportill@adventisthealthcare.com

Quasem

Sanjana

Asian American Health Initiative

Sanjana.quasem@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Ramsey

Gloria

Uniformed Services University of the Health Science

gramsey@usuhs.mil

Rankin

Kamila

Howard University

kcrankin@gmail.com

Rawls

Charles

Student

crawls@su.edu

Onukwugha

Pittman Pitts

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 51

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

First Name

Reeves Rehr Reinhart

Rodovskava Rodriguez

Email

Iris

MD State Mental Hygiene Administration

ireeves@dhmh.state.md.us

Rebecca

University of Maryland School of Public Health

rrehr@umd.edu

Doris

Rice

Organization

Adventist Healthcare Morrisa

Liya

HRSA Office of Women’s Health Univ. at Shady Grove

dreinhar@adventisthealthcare.com mrice@hrsa.gov jroth@son.umaryland.edu

Cecily

Virginia Dept. of Behavioral Health and Development

Cecily.rodriguez@dbhds.virginia.gov

Greg

Adventist Healthcare

groof@ahm.com

Ryan Smith

Colleen

Montgomery County DHHS/ PHS

Colleen.ryan-smith@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Saenz

Carmen

Latino Health Initiative, Montgomery County DHHS

Carmen saenz@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Salem

Catherine

Adventist Healthcare

csalem@sgaroc.com

Marion

Frederick County Health Department

Marion.tabe@waldenu.edu

Sandberg

Gwen

Women’s Cancer Control Program

Gwendolyn.sandberg@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Schaffer

Howie

Cook Ross Inc.—CultureVision

howies@cookross.com

Myra

Commonhealth Action

mschneider@commonhealthaction.org

Scott

Donna

Adventist Healthcare

DScott@ahm.com

Sebastian

Shahin

Cross Cultural Infotech

ssebastian@ccinfotech.com

Seleznow

Eric

National Skills Coalition

erics@nationalskillscoalition.org

Sheedy

Kathleen

Montgomery County HHS

Kathleen.sheedy@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Sheehan

Terrence

Adventist Healthcare

tsheehan@ahm.com

Shell

Donald

Prince George’s County Health Department

dshell@co.pg.md.us

Shelly

Donna

Parent-Child Consultation

Donna.shelly@verizon.net

Shivers

Ayanna

Uniformed Services University

Ayanna.shivers.ctr@usuhs.mil

Roof

Sama-Titanji

Schneider

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 52

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

First Name

Organization

Email

Shul

Jaclyn

Adventist Healthcare

jshull@adventisthealthcare.com

Silva

Izione

Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County

Izione_silva@primarycarecoalition.org

Simmons

Carol

Adventist Healthcare

csimmon2@adventisthealthcare.com

Smith

Nancy

University of Maryland

nsmith10@umd.edu

Smith

Pamela

Pfizer, Inc.

Pamela.s.smith@pfizer.com

Snyder

Annette

The Hilltop Institute at UMBC

asnyder@hilltop.umbc.edu

Statland

Samuel

Statland & Katz, Ltd

sstatland@statlandkatz.com

Stento

Jenna

Avalere Health

jstento@avalereheatlh.net

Stephenson

David

We Interpret.net

david@weinterpret.net

Swann

Wayne

SL Swann Enterprises, LLC

wswann@earthlink.net

Swanson

Christy

Adventist Healthcare

cswanso2@ahm.com

Talavera

Melina

Adventist Healthcare

mtalaver@ahm.com

Tang

Shelly

Holy Cross Hospital

tangsa@holycrosshealth.org

Taper

Darlene

School Health Services Montgomery County

Darlene.taper@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Michelle BETAH Associates, Inc.

mtaylor@betah.com

Taylor Thomas

Alicia

Grantmakers in Health

athomas@gih.org

Tinney

Sarah

Adventist Healthcare

stinney@ahm.com

Todd

Jennifer

University of Maryland College Park

jtodd@umd.edu

Toruno

Brigitta

UNO Communications

btoruno@unocommunications.net

Debra

Adventist Healthcare

dtruxill@ahm.com

Iyabode

Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care

kengous2001@yahoo.com

Peter

AAH

peteruran@hotmail.com

Vaflor

Rhodora

Adventist Healthcare

rvaflor@ahm.com

Vaughn

Deborah

Adventist Healthcare

tasfaw@ahm.com

Truxillo Umukoro Uran

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 53

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

Organization

Email

Marty Jo

Vazquez Consulting

vazquez51@verizon.net

Vivian

Christie

Universities at Shady Grove

jroth@son.umaryland.edu

Warner

Timothy

Montgomery County Government

Tim.warner@montgomerycountymd.gov

Washington

Robert

Montgomery Hospice

rwashington@montgomeryhospice.org

Washington

Deidre

Center on Health Disparities at Adventist Healthcare

dwashin2@adventisthealthcare

Maria Rosa

Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County

Mariarosa_watson@ primarycarecoalition.org

Barbette

Adventist Healthcare

belder@ahm.com

Vazquez

Watson Weimer-Elder

First Name

Weng

Jamie

Wenk

Jennifer

Wessel Westley

Asian American Health Jamie.weng@montgomerycountymd.gov Initiative, Mont. Co DHHS Adventist Healthcare

jwenk2@adventisthealthcare.com

Lois Association of Clinicians for the Underserved

Lois.wessel@gmail.com

Peggie

HRSA

pwestley@hrsa.gov

Jennifer

DHMH MHHD

jwhitehurst@dhmh.state.md.us

Widerlite

Paula

Adventist Healthcare

pwiderli@ahm.com

Williams

Lavonne

California State University, Sacramento

lavonnewlove@aol.com

Williams

Sonja

National Center for Health Statistics

iwn2@cdc.gov

Williamson

Louise

Adventist Healthcare

lwillia7@adventisthealthcare.com

Wilson

Tarsha

HRSA Office of Women’s Health

twilson@hrsa.gov

Winternitz

Shaina

Suburban Hospital

swinternitz@suburbanhospital.org

Woo

Violet

HRAS/BHPr

vwoo@hrsa.gov

Woolf

Gail

MCPS

Gail_s_woolf@mcpsmd.org

Woynicz

Pam

Adventist Healthcare

pwoynicz@ahm.com

Whitehurst

2010 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 54

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name Wright

First Name H. Marcel

Organization Adventist Healthcare

Email hmwright@louriecenter.org

Yee

Kristina

Young

Pamela

Sinai Hospital

pyoung@lifebridgehealth.org

Helen

CCACC Pan Asian Health Clinic

h.yu85@yahoo.com

Yu

Asian American Health Kristina.yee@montgomerycountymd.gov Initiative

Please contact us: Center on Health Disparities 1801 Research Boulevard Suite 200 Rockville, MD 20850 Phone: 301.315.3184 Fax: 301.315.3118

Learn more on the web: www.adventisthealthcare.com/disparities Friend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HealthDisparities

1801 Research Boulevard ● Suite 200 ● Rockville, MD 20850 Phone: 301.315.3184 ● Fax: 301.315.3118