2011 Annual Health Disparities Conference Proceedings

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

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CONTRIBUTORS

Authored by Staff of the Center on Health Disparities at Adventist HealthCare Marcos Pesquera, RPh, MPH Executive Director Talya Frelick, MPH Project Manager Marilyn Lynk, PhD Program Manager Eme Martin, MPH Project Manager 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

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments ·············································································· 5 Center on Health Disparities Advisory Board Members ·································· 6 Welcome ························································································· 9 Executive Summary············································································ 11 Overview ························································································ 12 Agenda··························································································· 16 Conference Planning Process································································· 18 Speakers ························································································· 22 Panelists ························································································· 27 2011 Blue Ribbon Award ···································································· 32 Conference Evaluation Summary ···························································· 34 Conclusion ······················································································ 36 Conference Attendees List ···································································· 38

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Adventist HealthCare and the Center on Health Disparities would like to thank all of the 2011 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 Kaiser Permanente, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, and 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.

We were honored to have United States Senator, the Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) offer opening remarks. We are also grateful that Daniel Dawes, JD, Federal Affairs and Grassroots Manager from Premier, Inc. and Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, could provide a detailed overview of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the impact it will have in the state of Maryland.

It is always a pleasure and honor to have Delegate Shirley Nathan-Pulliam attend our conferences. She received the 2011 Blue Ribbon Award for her many years of dedication and advocacy for the promotion of health equity in the state.

In addition, we were pleased to welcome Mayra Alvarez (Director, Public Health Policy, Office of Health Reform) and Gayle Tang (Senior Director, National Linguistic and Diversity Infrastructure Management, Kaiser Permanente) as panel moderators, as well as welcome Brian Smedley (Vice President and Director, Health Policy Institute, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, and a keynote speaker at our 2010 conference) back as a panel moderator.

CHD 2011 Annual Health Disparities Conference Proceedings Policymakers, legislators, researchers, students and other stakeholders joined Adventist HealthCare executives and employees at the Adventist HealthCare Center on Health Disparities’ 5th Annual Health Disparities Conference on November 2. The 2011 Conference Proceedings summarizes the day’s events including two dynamic keynote presentations, three interactive panel sessions, and the presentation of the 2011 Blue Ribbon Award. Also included is a list of attendees to facilitate networking and continued communication with colleagues dedicated to achieving health equity in Maryland.

Conference Sponsors & Vendors Kaiser Permanente (Platinum Sponsor) CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield (Bronze Sponsor) Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services African American Health Program Asian American Health Initiative Latino Health Initiative Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital and the Limb Preservation and Amputee Center of Maryland We Interpret Uno Communications Ad Astra Montgomery Hospice

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CENTER ON HEALTH DISPARITIES ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS 2011-2013

Aisha Bivens, JD, BSN Associate Vice President of Clinical Effectiveness Washington Adventist Hospital

Perry Chan Senior Program Coordinator, Asian American Health Initiative Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Lisa Cullins, MD Director, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Adventist Behavioral Health Irene Dankwa-Mullan, MD, MPH Director, Office of Innovation and Program Coordination National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Steve Galen, MS President and CEO Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County Carol W. Garvey, MD, MPH Chair Primary Care Coalition Carlessia Hussein, DrPH, RN Director, Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Judy Lichty, MPH Regional Director, Health and Wellness Adventist HealthCare Skip Margot, RN, MS Chief Nursing Executive and Vice President of Patient Care Services Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Sonia Mora, MPH Manager, Public Health Services/Latino Health Initiative Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Richard “Dick” Pavlin, MHCA Executive Director Mercy Health Clinic

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CENTER ON HEALTH DISPARITIES ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS 2011-2013

Olivia Carter-Pokras, PhD Associate Professor University of Maryland College Park, School of Public Health Howard Ross Chief Learning Officer Cook Ross, Inc. Terrence P. Sheehan, MD Chief Medical Officer Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland Tom Sweeney, RN, MBA, FACHE Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Washington Adventist Hospital Lois A. Wessel, RN, CFNP Associate Director for Programs Association of Clinicians for the Underserved

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WELCOME

Marcos Pesquera, Executive Director, Center on Health Disparities at Adventist HealthCare, opened the conference and 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 sponsors for their support of this conference and their continued commitment to improve the health of our communities. Also, he thanked representatives from Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Frederick counties for their partnership in the planning.

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

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.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2011 Fifth Annual Health Disparities Conference, sponsored by the Adventist HealthCare Center on Health Disparities was held on November 2, 2011, at the University of Maryland University College - Marriott Inn & Conference Center in Hyattsville, Maryland. The theme of this year’s conference, Achieving Health Equity through Health Care Reform, attracted a diverse audience of attendees including: Adventist HealthCare employees; federal, state and, county government officials; public health professionals; policymakers; professionals from community-based organizations; students; and others.

The conference opened with remarks from the Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin, United States Senator from the state of Maryland. The morning’s two keynote speakers provided an overview of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the ACA, or simply as “health care reform.” The speakers placed special emphasis on those provisions in the ACA that have implications for the elimination of health and healthcare disparities and the promotion of health equity. The program also included the presentation of the 2011 Blue Ribbon Award to Maryland State Delegate Shirley-Nathan Pulliam for her many years of advocating for health equity in Maryland. The program concluded with three panel sessions. The panelists, representing both AHC entities and community organizations, discussed ongoing initiatives at their respective institutions that exemplify provisions in the ACA that promote health equity, such as improving access to care for vulnerable populations.

Mr. Pesquera gave a brief overview of the 2011 Center on Health Disparities Annual Progress Report. The report includes a review of relevant components of the ACA, in alignment with this conference’s theme, and highlights accomplishments in the Center’s areas of focus over the last five years. The report also updates local and state demographics and disparities statistics in maternal/child health, cancer, and cardiovascular health, based upon the most recent available data. This year’s report and reports from previous years are available on the Center on Health Disparities website at: www.adventisthealthcare.com/disparities.

These 2011 Annual Health Disparities Conference Proceedings offer an overview of conference activities and summarize the major themes presented by the speakers. We also describe our conference planning process in detail, including the members of our planning committee. We summarize the remarks and presentations by our keynote speakers, Daniel Dawes and Dr. Joshua Sharfstein; we also summarize presentations from our three panel sessions: Improving Access to Care, Prevention and Wellness, and Quality and Cultural Competence. Finally, we incorporate all of the ideas, questions, and suggestions that emerged from the day and formulate specific recommendations and action items as we strive toward health equity and full implementation of the ACA. The 2011 Annual Health Disparities Conference was an overwhelming success. We hope that you will use these proceedings as a resource when looking for information on ways to incorporate the ACA into your organizational plans, particularly as it relates to the elimination of health disparities and the promotion of health equity. Selected conference presentations are also available on the Center on Health Disparities website. We remain heartened by the efforts of so many in our community dedicated to the promotion of health equity, and we invite you to continue with us on this journey in the years to come.

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Partnering Toward a Healthier Future

OVERVIEW Amid much debate and controversy, President Barack Obama signed “health care reform” into law in March 2010. Certain provisions in the law have the potential to address the disparities in health and in health care that have been well-documented in the United States for decades. However, despite widespread media coverage, many still harbor questions and uncertainties as to what the law actually contains, and how the many provisions will be implemented in the years to come. The Center on Health Disparities felt health care reform was a timely and relevant topic for this year’s conference, and successfully convened leaders from all levels of government to share their expertise and perspectives on a plethora of health care reform topics.

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: 2007–2010 The Center on Health Disparities has developed and disseminated four 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

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OVERVIEW 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, 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.

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. The 2010 Center on Health Disparities Progress Report summarized the evidence on social factors that influence health disparities among racial/ethnic groups in the tricounty area, and local efforts to eliminate them.

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OVERVIEW

Conference attendee meeting with an exhibit sponsor.

CENTER ON HEALTH DISPARITIES 2011 ANNUAL HEALTH DISPARITIES CONFERENCE The 2011 annual conference, entitled “Achieving Health Equity through Health Care Reform” was held on November 2, 2011, at the University of Maryland Inn and Conference Center in College Park, Maryland. United States Senator, the Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), gave opening remarks, followed by Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Secretary, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Daniel Dawes, JD, Federal Affairs and Grassroots Manager, Premier, Inc., who presented a detailed overview of health care reform and its impact on Maryland residents.

Marcos Pesquera, Executive Director of the Center on Health Disparities, described the Center’s 2011 Progress Report on local health disparities in maternal/infant health, heart disease and stroke, and cancer. The Report also summarized health care reform provisions that relate to health disparities and the Center’s accomplishments over the previous five years. An afternoon panel highlighted efforts within Adventist HealthCare around promoting equity, including organizational cultural competency assessments, the provision of qualified language interpreting for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), and health information exchange (HIE). Other panels highlighted local efforts from external community partners including Montgomery County Health and Human Services Minority Initiatives. Finally, Maryland Delegate Shirley Nathan-Pulliam received the 2011 Blue Ribbon Award for her many years of dedication and advocacy for the promotion of health equity in the state of Maryland.

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AGENDA AT A GLANCE Agenda Welcome

William “Bill” Robertson President and CEO, Adventist HealthCare, Inc.

Opening Remarks:

The Honorable Benjamin Cardin United States Senator, 112th Congress

Greeting from Montgomery County

Uma S. Ahluwalia Director, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services MORNING KEYNOTE ADDRESSES: Overview of Health Care Reform

Overview of State Impact

Daniel Dawes, JD Federal Affairs and Grassroots Manager Premier, Inc. Joshua Sharfstein, MD Secretary, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

2011 Center on Health Disparities Progress Report Summary Marcos Pesquera, RPh, MPH Executive Director, Center on Health Disparities at Adventist HealthCare BREAK PRIORITY AREAS PRESENTATION AND PANELS: Access to Care Panel: Moderator:

Brian Smedley, PhD Vice President and Director, Health Policy Institute, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Panel Presenters:  Florencia Gonzalez, MPH, Nueva Vida  Sarah Kureshi, MD, Department of Family Medicine, Georgetown University  Donna Folkemer, MA, MCP, The Hilltop Institute Lunch

Agenda continued on next page

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CONFERENCE PLANNING PROCESS Agenda Continued: Presentation of Blue Ribbon Award Health and Wellness Panel: Mayra Alvarez, MHA Moderator: Director of Public Health Policy, Office of Health Reform, Department of Health and Human Services Panel Presenters:  Perry Chan, Asian American Health Initiative  Msache Mwaluoku, African American Health Program  Margaret Korto, Office of Minority Health Resource Center Quality and Cultural Competence Panel: Moderator: Gayle Tang, MSN, RN Senior Director, National Linguistic & Diversity Infrastructure Management, Kaiser Permanente National Diversity Panel Presenters:  Eme Martin, MPH, Adventist HealthCare  Byron Maldonado, Adventist Behavioral Health  Jeremy Wong, Adventist HealthCare Closing Remarks

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

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CONFERENCE PLANNING PROCESS The process for planning an annual meeting for up to 300 attendees is extensive.

Beginning just a few weeks after the 2010 fall conference, the Center on Health Disparities team assembled to determine the 2011 conference theme. In view of the recently passed health care reform legislation in March 2010, the staff at the Center felt it would be appropriate to focus on the impact that the landmark legislation would have on improving the health of vulnerable communities. As in previous years, the Center partnered with health departments in the tri-county area (i.e., Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties) to assist in the conference planning process. Additionally, in an effort to increase visibility and community support, the Center solicited the input of Adventist HealthCare’s business development officer, grants management, and marketing departments to help identify appropriate sponsorships for the fifth annual meeting.

In January 2011, the Center assembled the conference planning committee to discuss the Poster presentation at Exhibit Table. conference theme and outline a strategy for bringing the 2011 annual meeting to fruition.

The committee agreed that convening on a monthly basis would be appropriate for the planning process. After identifying and inviting appropriate speakers to participate in the annual meeting, the planning committee felt it would be necessary to not only discuss the impact of health care reform, but illustrate the application of the legislation in community-based settings. Hence, for the first time, the Center issued a “Call for Abstracts” to the metropolitan Washington, DC region for the submission of practices to illustrate the application of health care reform legislation. Although the initial Call for Abstracts requested submissions under the three focus areas of the Center (i.e., Education and Training, Health Services, and Research), the conference planning committee chose to shift the focus areas to better reflect categories within health care reform that most closely emphasize achieving health equity: improving access to care; prevention and wellness, and quality and cultural competence. Dissemination of the Call for Abstracts occurred through the Center on Health Disparities listserv and through the networks of the planning committee with a six week submission window.

After the Call for Abstracts period closed, the planning committee met as a whole to determine which abstracts met the minimal requirements outlined in the solicitation and were eligible for further review. After choosing submissions that aligned best with the conference theme, the planning committee independently reviewed and completed a rubric for each submission. The top three abstracts from each subcategory were accepted for presentation.

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CONFERENCE PLANNING PROCESS PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS Andrea Bedenbaugh Grants Specialist, Grants Department Adventist HealthCare Perry Chan Senior Program Coordinator, Asian American Health Initiative Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Darlene Coles Project Director, African American Health Program Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Jacqueline Dougé Health Officer Frederick County Department of Health Thomas Grant Associate Vice President, Public Relations/Marketing Adventist HealthCare Betty Lam Chief, Office of Community Affairs Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Judy McDaniel Program Manager, Education Institute Adventist HealthCare Sonia Mora Program Manager, Latino Health Initiative Montgomery Department of Health and Human Services Donald Shell Health Officer Prince George’s County Health Department Jamie Lok Weng Program Specialist, Asian American Health Initiative Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services

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CONFERENCE PLANNING PROCESS PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS (CONTINUED) Teresa Witt Business Partner Development Officer Adventist HealthCare Marilyn Lynk Program Manager, Center on Health Disparities Adventist HealthCare Eme Martin Project Manager, Center on Health Disparities Adventist HealthCare Marcos Pesquera Executive Director, Center on Health Disparities Adventist HealthCare Deidre Washington Research Associate, Center on Health Disparities Adventist HealthCare

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SPEAKERS OPENING REMARKS

Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) delivering opening remarks.

United States Senator, the Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), started off the day by voicing his support for the changes in the Affordable Care Act that should help to reduce health disparities. He stated that this conference marked the 18-month anniversary of the passage of the ACA, and that we could already see changes to our health care system. The ACA eliminated the ability for insurance companies to deny coverage to individuals due to preexisting conditions, and reigned in insurance companies to increase accountability. He declared that we will join other nations of the world to say that health care is a right, not a privilege.

Senator Cardin provided some statistics on health disparities and noted that half of people without health insurance are minorities, even though minorities make up only a third of the U.S. population. However, he pointed out that having health insurance alone does not guarantee access to the same quality of care. He also explained that people with limited English proficiency have worse outcomes in our health care system and that we have to deal with the issue, both because it is a moral issue and also a money issue. He cited a recent study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which found that health disparities accounted for almost $230 billion in direct costs from 2003-2006. Once indirect costs were also factored in, health disparities accounted for an astonishing $1.24 trillion during the same period.

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SPEAKERS The Senator provided conference participants with a clear synopsis of how the ACA will improve care while reducing costs. He explained that the ACA will bring down the cost of healthcare by rewarding healthy lifestyles while also investing in prevention. It will bring everyone into the system so that people do not go to the emergency room for primary care, but rather use primary care facilities, thereby saving money. It also strongly encourages the use of information technology for health/medical records and will be more aggressive in facilitating this transition. He said that delivery system reforms offer the greatest cost-savings of over $300 billion, and should also decrease the infection rates in hospitals. The goal of the ACA is to make the system better and fairer. It will increase the availability of insurance and will provide exchanges to make it easier for small companies to get insurance for their employees. Everyone needs to be in the system to make it fair and make it work, and lawmakers will work to make it affordable. Senator Cardin emphasized that discrimination in any form is wrong; we have made advancements in health disparities, but we still have a long way to go. Seeing everyone at the conference gave him great optimism.

GREETINGS:

Uma Ahluwalia urges conference participants to learn more about health information technology in Montgomery County.

D

Uma S. Ahluwalia, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, addressed the conference participants to increase awareness of how health information technology will affect Montgomery County. She encouraged everyone to visit the “Healthy Montgomery” website at www.HealthyMontgomery.org to view data focused on population health. She explained that automated systems and scan technology are going to radically modernize the way we do business. The six areas where the state’s work on health IT will affect Montgomery County include: (1) the role of public health and prevention, (2) safety net, (3) meeting the needs of seniors, (4) behavioral health, and its integration with primary care, (5) technology solutions using data analytics, and (6) eliminating redundancies in case management.

iscrimination in any form is wrong; we have made advancements in health disparities, but we still have a long way to go.

Benjamin L. Cardin, Senator (D-Md.)

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SPEAKERS MORNING KEYNOTE ADDRESS:

Achieving Health Equity:

A Federal Perspective

Daniel Dawes, J.D., speaks about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and its provisions for eliminating health care disparities and promoting health equity.

Our morning keynote speaker, Daniel Dawes, JD, Federal Affairs and Grassroots Manager of Premier, Inc., provided a succinct, yet comprehensive, overview of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the ACA, or “health care reform.” In particular, Mr. Dawes highlighted the sections of the ACA that will have implications for eliminating health and healthcare disparities and promoting health equity.

The ACA was signed into law by President Barack Obama in March 2010. Some provisions of the ACA have already gone into effect, while others will become effective over a staggered schedule through 2014. One of the more prominent provisions in the law is the expansion of health insurance coverage to more than 30 million Americans who are currently uninsured. State-run ‘health exchanges’ will provide consumers and small business with financial assistance to purchase affordable health insurance. As Mr. Dawes explained, other components of the law that will affect vulnerable populations include prohibiting insurance discrimination based on pre-existing health conditions, increasing the diversity and cultural/linguistic competence of health service providers, and shifting healthcare delivery from treating sickness towards prevention and wellness.

Mr. Dawes also highlighted the inclusion of new collection and reporting requirements regarding race, ethnicity, and language data, emphasizing their inclusion as a major victory for the proponents of health equity who collaborated to ensure that a health disparities agenda would be included in the law. New standards are being put into place to improve methodology for collecting data on race, ethnicity, primary language and disability status. He also presented various provisions in the bill related to improving the quality of patient care, strengthening and diversifying the healthcare workforce, and promoting prevention and wellness, all of which have been identified as strategies to reduce disparities and improve patient outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Mr. Dawes concluded his presentation by discussing the political and legal challenges the ACA will face over the next few years, focusing on appeals within the judicial system and funding appropriations from Congress. Given the political climate, he predicted that health care reform is here to stay. He urged us all to watch closely, and when appropriate, become active in the political process to champion our particular priorities and interests. As Mr. Dawes stated in his conclusion, “Successful implementation of health reform will require that individuals remain vigilant to ensure that many of its provisions, which are aimed at achieving health equity and reducing disparities in health status and health care, survive the forthcoming hurdles.” On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court upheld the ACA, including the requirement that all Americans have health insurance.

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SPEAKERS

Achieving Health Equity:

A State Perspective Joshua Sharfstein, MD, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, spoke next on the impact that health care reform will have in the state. Dr. Sharfstein opened his remarks by Dr. Sharfstein addresses the impact of reflecting on situations he had witnessed earlier in his health care reform in the State of Maryland. career as a practicing pediatrician, such as a two-year old child whose family kept him strapped into a stroller because they were sharing a living space with another family, or another child breathing in second-hand smoke from an adult smoking in the home, who developed cancer. These sad situations, he stated, reinforced the strong correlation between child health and housing environment. Both examples illustrate how social determinants—in this case, the environment one lives in—can negatively shape a person’s health and well-being. Children, in particular, are likely to feel the ramifications of a negative environment throughout their life course. Health disparities efforts include addressing situations like these to ensure that all children are able to experience childhood without the undue burden of ill-health.

Dr. Sharfstein, while lauding the importance of improved race, ethnicity and language data collection, emphasized that data collection alone is not equal to action. In order to truly effect change, action must follow measurement. To that end, Dr. Sharfstein outlined a sample of the action steps that Maryland is implementing in accordance with provisions in the ACA. One strategy is to push for innovation in health care delivery. An example is to change incentives so that health care systems are rewarded for healthy patients. Another is for hospitals to expand partnerships with community clinics, as reimbursements to hospitals for 30-day readmissions are being adjusted. One strategy for reducing the number of 30-day hospital readmissions is to improve coordination of care between hospitals and community clinics to encourage follow-up care. Finally, the state is committed to helping hospitals and other entities with technology upgrades to maximize efficiency, in accordance with several new recommendations around health information technology and health information exchanges (HIE).

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2011 CENTER ON HEALTH DISPARITIES PROGRESS REPORT SUMMARY

Marcos Pesquera presents the Center on Health Disparities 2011 report titled “Health Disparities in the Era of Reform Implementation.”

Following their presentations, Mr. Dawes and Dr. Sharfstein shared the podium to entertain questions from the audience.

Prior to the panel presentations, Marcos Pesquera, Executive Director of the Center on Health Disparities, provided a brief overview of the Center’s 2011 Progress Report. Drawing on the theme for the 2011 Annual Conference, the Progress Report titled, “Health Disparities in the Era of Reform Implementation,” consists of three chapters. The first chapter provides an update on local disparities data, based on the 2010 U.S. Census. Similar to the Center’s 2007 Progress Report, the data published in the 2011 report focuses on communities in the tri-county area of Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties with an emphasis on three disease areas: maternal and child health, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Along with the 2011 Annual Conference theme, the second chapter of the report discusses the impact of the Affordable Care Act on improving the health of vulnerable communities. Mr. Pesquera briefly described the areas that will most greatly affect minority populations: increased access to insurance coverage and health care; improved quality measurements and data reporting; and the promotion of appropriate care for all Americans. The final chapter of the report provides brief updates on the work in which the Center has engaged since it’s creation in 2007.

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PANELISTS

Morning Panel: Morning Panelists (left to right): Donna Folkemer, Dr. Sarah Kureshi, and Florencia Gonzalez

FIRST PANEL: IMPROVING ACCESS TO CARE The first panel session, Improving Access to Care, was moderated by Brian Smedley, Ph.D., Vice President and Director, Health Policy Institute, for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Dr. Smedley, who served as a keynote speaker for our 2010 Annual Conference, oversees all operations of the HPI, including its Place Matters initiative. The three panelists discussed programs at their respective organizations that promote access to health care for some of the most vulnerable populations.

The first panelist, Florencia Gonzalez, MPH, represented Nueva Vida, which since 1996, serves to inform, support and empower Latinas who are affected by breast cancer. Research has shown that many socioeconomic and language barriers have led to reduced rates of breast cancer screening and less timely access to appropriate care in the Latina population. Through Nueva Vida, support is available to Latina women at all phases of cancer care, including screening, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, and during survivorship. In fact, the organization is mainly staffed by Latina cancer survivors, adding another layer of empathy and support for the women battling this disease. Ms. Gonzalez also explained how ongoing and new initiatives within Nueva Vida aligned with certain provisions in the ACA. For example, the ACA provides funding to establish patient navigators; as part of its Social Support Services, Nueva Vida provides culturally appropriate patient navigation to help women maneuver through the oftentimes complicated health care system.

The second panelist, Sarah Kureshi, MD, MPH, of Georgetown University, described how a community-campus collaborative between Georgetown University and Port Towns Community Health Partnership is helping to increase access for residents in Prince George’s County. The collaborative includes four communities in northwest Prince George’s County that border Washington, DC, totaling about 12,000 people. The Partnership formed in 2008, and is comprised of community residents, community leaders, non-profits, schools, businesses, government leaders

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PANELISTS and funders. It aims to address the problems of obesity, chronic disease, and health inequalities in these communities. Specific items in the Community Action Plan include: improving access to quality fresh food; implementing youth-led wellness activities; helping create safe and clean community environments to promote outdoor activities; and creating wellness opportunity zones through healthy zoning, land-use, and mixed residential affordable housing. Dr. Kureshi explained how the Partnership’s activities align with provisions under the ACA’s Prevention and Public Health Fund; for example, many items in the Community Action Plan mirror the goals of the ACA’s Community Transformation Grants. Early accomplishments of the program include the transformation of an empty lot in the community into a Community Garden.

The final presenter of the panel, Donna Folkemer, MA, representing The Hilltop Institute, discussed the Institute’s Hospital Community Benefits Program. The Program strives to ensure that hospital community benefit activities are appropriately responsive to pressing community health needs. In particular, Ms. Folkemer explained that the ACA mandates that all non-profit hospitals must conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment by March 2015. The ACA also states that the Needs Assessment must be completed at least once every three years thereafter, must incorporate input from those with a “broad interest” in the community, and must be made widely available to the public. The ACA further stipulates guidelines around the provision of financial assistance policies, and specifies what information on the policies needs to be disseminated widely in the community. As one example, the ACA prohibits charging patients who are eligible for discounted care more than the rate generally billed to patients with insurance. Going forward, The Hilltop Institute will continue to work with community leaders and policy makers to ensure that hospitals are engaging community members, particularly those who are most vulnerable, throughout the community needs process.

SECOND PANEL: PREVENTION AND WELLNESS

Morning panelists (from left to right): Mayra Alvarez, Perry Chan, Msache Mwaluko, and Margaret Korto

The second panel session, Prevention and Wellness, was moderated by Mayra Alvarez, MHA, Director, Public Health Policy, Office of Health Reform, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In her position within DHHS, Ms. Alvarez coordinates with various divisions to facilitate the implementation of public health, prevention, and healthcare workforce policy provisions in the ACA. She also participates in many ACA outreach related activities, particularly in the Latino

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 29

PANELISTS community. Panelists from both local and federal governments shared programs and initiatives they are engaged in to help promote wellness and healthy living in communities.

The first panelist of the session, Perry Chan of the Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI), spoke of AAHI’s health promoter program, which serves the needs of the Asian American community living in Montgomery County, Maryland. More than 40% of Maryland’s Asian and Pacific Islander residents live in Montgomery County. Access barriers for these communities include linguistic isolation, difficulty in understanding and navigating the Western health care system, and insurance. Mr. Chan explained how AAHI helps residents overcome these barriers through the efforts of its health promoters. Health promoters, also known as “lay health workers” or “community health workers”, are community members who are trained to perform health promotion and education activities directly in the community. AAHI has trained 31 promoters, who speak 16 different languages, in a variety of health issues important to the Asian American community, including cancer, hepatitis B, and tobacco use. Promoters work in a variety of settings, including churches, health fairs, and community centers; AAHI promoters participated in more than 75 outreach events in 2011.

The second panelist, Msache Mwaluko, from the African American Health Program (AAHP), spoke about AAHP’s health promoter program as well. AAHP focuses on the following six health topics: cardiovascular health, cancer, diabetes, infant mortality, HIV/AIDS, & oral health. AAHP’s program was established in 2004. Since then, AAHP has trained 19 health promoters, who speak a total of six languages. AAHP promoters come not only from the U.S., but also from various countries in the Caribbean and Africa. Ms. Mwaluko stated that in 2011, the promoters participated in more than 70 health fairs, cultural events, and health education sessions, and provided outreach to more than 5,000 Montgomery County residents. AAHP promoters’ activities are designed to promote wellness in the community, in accordance with the goals of the ACA. The third panelist, Margaret Korto, MBA, MHA, represented the U.S. Office of Minority Health Resource Center (OMHRC). OMHRC works to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of policies and program that will help eliminate health disparities. In her remarks, Ms. Korto focused primarily on the health of the African immigrant community. OMHRC has developed comprehensive model to address the unmet needs of African immigrants living in the U.S., particularly those with HIV/AIDS. Some of the activities conducted under this model include creating a database of topical experts on African and immigrant issues, and the development of curriculum and materials to provide education on culturally appropriate disease management.

The engaging discussion topics and panelists prompted many comments and questions by attendees.

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PANELISTS

Afternoon Panel: Afternoon panelists (from left to right): Eme Martin, Byron Maldonado, and Jeremy Wong.

THIRD PANEL: QUALITY AND CULTURAL COMPETENCE

Gayle Tang introduced the third panel.

The final panel session of the afternoon, Quality and Cultural Competence, was moderated by Gayle Tang, RN, MSN, Senior Director, National Linguistic and Diversity Infrastructure Management, Kaiser Permanente. AHC employees from three departments described ongoing initiatives aimed at improving quality and promoting cultural competence throughout the organization. Ms. Tang developed the Qualified Bilingual Staff (QBS) program currently being implemented at Adventist HealthCare (and highlighted by the second speaker in this panel).

The first panelist, Eme Martin, MPH, Center on Health Disparities, discussed the process of conducting an organizational cultural competence assessment to determine how well the organization is meeting the needs of its diverse staff and patients. In 2011, the Center on Health Disparities conducted a cultural competence assessment of Adventist Behavioral Health (ABH). Ms. Martin described the time- and labor-intensive steps of this assessment, including 38 leadership interviews, 14 staff focus groups, and eight interviews with community members who routinely interact with ABH (e.g., law enforcement, judicial system). The final report, delivered to the AHC President’s Council in February 2012, presented the results of the assessment, including strengths and areas where we are doing well, opportunities for improvement, and recommendations for implementing the suggested changes. The Center on Health Disparities will assist ABH in incorporating the recommendations into a strategic plan and putting that plan into action. The Center on Health Disparities plans to commence its next organizational assessment later in 2012.

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 31

PANELISTS The next panelist, Byron Maldonado, Adventist Behavioral Health, presented a case study to illustrate the importance of using a qualified interpreter when treating patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), particularly in a mental health situation. In this particular case, a 14–year old Hispanic male was admitted to ABH’s partial hospitalization program with his mother and his mother’s boyfriend present. The patient’s caregiver was a LEP single mother of three and a victim of emotional abuse in her native country. The boyfriend stated he was the legal guardian, and would handle admission. During the family’s second meeting, the mother admitted that her boyfriend was abusing both her and her children and that she could no longer subject them to his treatment. A QBS was brought in to interpret directly with the mother, and consequently, the family was able to learn about and take advantage of numerous resources that were in place to help them. This case study illustrates how using a qualified interpreter can improve patient care and outcomes, since it was questionable how reliable the boyfriend would have been in conveying complete and accurate information to the family.

Through 2011, AHC has trained over 330 bilingual staff on interpreting in medical situations, and more than 200 have passed the assessment to become QBS. The final panelist, Jeremy Wong, Ambulatory Care Electronic Health Records Support (ACES), described possibilities for using health information exchanges as a mechanism to address health disparities. Mr. Wong’s department, ACES, is an example of a health information exchange, or HIE, which exists as a network for connecting disparate electronic health records from different systems. An advantage of an HIE is that it enables patient records to be accessible regardless of where the patient is seen. Two of ACES’ primary responsibilities are to support AHC-affiliated physician practices in their adoption of electronic health records, and to develop AHC as an HIE. Mr. Wong described how an HIE can be used to counter health disparities, using the example of multiple hospital readmissions. Going forward, data on patient race, ethnicity, and language will be more readily available and transferable as hospitals and physician practices document this information. With these systems in place, readmission rates and follow-up care can be analyzed by race, ethnicity, and language. Once we have identified groups of people most likely to be readmitted, we can implement targeted interventions to reduce unnecessary readmissions.

Conference attendees participating during a question and answer session.

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 32

2011 BLUE RIBBON AWARD

Dedicated Champion for Health Equity

Each year, the Center on Health Disparities gives a Blue Ribbon Award to a person or organization that has demonstrated efforts to remove barriers to health equity through education and/or collaboration. Maryland Delegate Shirley Nathan-Pulliam received the 2011 Blue Ribbon Award for her many years of dedication and advocacy for the promotion of health equity in the state of Maryland. This year’s award was presented by Amalia Oven and Sewit Haile of the Teen Ambassadors Against Health Disparities, a group that works to generate awareness of health inequality through education. Delegate Nathan-Pulliam accepted the award with warm remarks.

Amalia Oven and Sewit Haile, two Ambassadors of the group Teen Ambassadors Against Health Disparities, presented the 2011 Blue Ribbon Award to this years award recipient.

Delegate Shirley Nathan-Pulliam receiving the Blue Ribbon Award from the Teen Ambassadors Against Health Disparities.

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 33

2011 BLUE RIBBON AWARD

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 34

SUMMARY

Conference Evaluation Summary

The Center on Health Disparities’ (CHD) Fifth Annual Conference exceeded expectations and is, in our opinion, the best meeting to date. With the salient topic of health care reform as a backdrop, this year’s conference attracted over 300 guests, the most attendees at any CHD annual meeting. Keynote speakers inHighlights cluded the Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin of the United States Senate, Maryland Secretary of Health and Mental Over 300 guests in attenHygiene Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, and Daniel Dawes. Conference attendees represented leaders from diverse sectors indance cluding healthcare, academia, and urban development at the Attendee representation local, state, and federal levels. spanned across many secNearly 40% of those in attendance at this year’s event comtors within healthcare, acapleted an extensive online post-conference survey. Of those demia, and urban developwho completed a post-conference evaluation, nearly all parment at local, state and ticipants strongly agreed that the morning keynote speakers federal levels demonstrated expertise in the conference topic of achieving 80% of respondents health equity through health care reform. Attendees were strongly agree that panel especially impressed with Daniel Dawes, J.D., who propresenters and moderators vided an extensive overview of healthcare reform legislation demonstrated an expertise as it specifically relates to improving the health of vulnerof healthcare reform and able populations. health equity “The most valuable aspect of the conference for me was the Nearly 40% of attendees presentation made by Daniel Dawes owing to its comprecompleted the extensive hensiveness and to Mr. Dawes's delivery. I came away with online post-conference surfar greater vey tool understanding of the many elements that comprise the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and how these propose to address and ameliorate health disparities.”

 





Peter Lowet (Executive Director, Mobile Med) and Bill Robertson (President and CEO of Adventist HealthCare) reflect on the success of the conference.

“Daniel Dawes' presentation breaking down the various components of the ACA was the most helpful aspect of the conference for me. I really appreciated the way he told us not only the components of the act, but what monies are available for implementation, specific programmatic priorities, etc.”

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 35

SUMMARY Feedback regarding the afternoon panelists and moderators was equally favorable with at least 80% of respondents strongly agreeing that panel presenters and moderators demonstrated an expertise of healthcare reform and health equity. Virtually all respondents (96%) felt that panel presentations were well moderated.

was pleased that the conference was not planned in a way that would have forced the attendee to choose among workshops.”

Overall, survey participants felt that the conference theme was effectively delivered. Nearly all attendees who provided feedback (90%) agreed that the conference objectives of discussing implementation of healthcare reform to improve the health of vulnerable populations and strategies for improving access to care, prevention and wellness, quality, and cultural competence were well met or very well met.

In regards to improving next year’s conference, most qualitative comments were favorable: “The presentations were very well presented, the food was really delicious and sharing comments and information during meal time was also valuable.”

“I was pleased that the conference was not planned in a way that would have forced the attendee to choose among workshops.”

Several survey participants did offer suggestions for improvement: More “interactive opportunities to share ideas,” and “fewer speakers [with] more time for Q&A,” were two comments of the most common requests provided by conference attendees.

Overall, the Center on Health Disparities is pleased with the fifth annual meeting and looks forward to having next year’s conference exceed expectations.

Thank you to all of our interns and nursing volunteers at this year’s conference.

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 36

CONCLUSION

Conclusion

The 2011 Center on Health Disparities conference focused on specific health issues, described health care reform provisions to improve quality of care and Left to right: Gayle Tang, Marcos Pesquera, Ben Cardin, and Shirley Nahealth care access for Americans, and highlighted the than-Pulliam Center’s activities and accomplishments over the last five years. Each of the main speakers demonstrated their unwavering support for the innovative and collaborative work being done to eliminate health disparities in the state. They touted the importance of knowing the health disparities that affect populations in our state and in our country, as well as barriers that limit access to care among vulnerable populations including limited English proficiency, lack of health insurance, and disproportionate burden of chronic diseases among minority populations. With health reform, there is hope that the provisions to expand health insurance coverage, increase cultural and linguistic competence of health care providers, and emphasize prevention and wellness will improve the health of the nation.

We are all looking forward to seeing how health reform will improve care, improve quality, and reduce costs through a variety of strategies—standardized collection of race, ethnicity, and language preference; language services for patients with limited or no English proficiency; use of health information technology to collect and document vital information for quality improvement and health disparities research; increased cultural and linguistic competency among health care providers and staff. In our past reports, we’ve made recommendations to expand outreach and services to racial and ethnic minorities, promote systematic data collection and research, disseminate knowledge and exchange best practices with community members and leaders, and promote linguistically and culturally-sensitive care in health care.

Meeting the health care needs of vulnerable populations is a key strategy for eliminating health disparities. Partnerships with safety net clinics and other community organizations as well as improvements to health information technology will be crucial to improve coordination of care and ultimately, quality of care and outcomes. The use of health promoters—lay health educators who work with community members to help them understand and manage disease—can directly serve the needs of people living with chronic diseases especially and those who face various barriers to care such as linguistic isolation.

In conclusion, the Center on Health Disparities will continue to provide a platform for representatives from local governments, community service organizations, health care providers, and academic institutions to discuss the actions necessary to eliminate health disparities and improve the quality of care provided to all populations. The activities described in the 2011 report are just an example of the great work being completed by Adventist HealthCare and numerous organizations invested in improving the health of people in our communities.

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 37

CONCLUSION

Left to Right: Eskedar Ejigineh, Dominique Chevalier, Deidre Washington, Marcos Pesquera, Marilyn Lynk, Talya Frelick, and Eme Martin

6TH ANNUAL HEALTH DISPARITIES CONFERENCE OCTOBER 8, 2012

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 38

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!

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 39

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name Adegorusi Aguirre Akre Aldoory Aloras

First Name

Organization

Email

Motunrayo

Coppin State University

tunnie5@yahoo.com

Luis

Latino Health Initiative

luis.aguirre@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Ellesse

Freelance

ellesseakre@gmail.com

Linda

University of Maryland

laldoory@umd.edu

Latino Health Initiative, Montgomery County Office of Health Reform, HHS

gianina.hasbun@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Ruth

Alvarez

Mayra

Amanuel

Rahel

DHHS

hirity25@yahoo.com

Anderson

Karen

Institute of Medicine

kanderson@nas.edu

Tammie

MIMRP

tammie.wellfitu@gmail.com

Arcia-Hird

Libby

Self

larcia202@yahoo.com

Armstrong

Karen

US DHHS - SAMHSA

karen.armstrong@samhsa.hhs.gov

Ligia

NIMHD

artilesl@mail.nih.gov

Archie

Artiles Assani-Uva

Adeline

Medical Nutrition Consultant Llc Rock Glen Nursing & Rehabilitation

mayra.alvarez@hhs.gov

addy_uva@yahoo.com

Assiamah

Sylvia

Avendano

Alberto

Washington Post

avendano57@yahoo.com

Baker

Bruce

CHEER

bruce@communitycheer.org

Ballenger

Keith

Adventist Home Health

kballeng@ahm.com

Heather

Ad Astra, Inc.

heather@ad-astrainc.com

Bathie

Samantha

Kaiser Permanente

samantha.j.bathie@kp.org

Battle

Yusef

The Fit Solution

yusef@fitsolution.org

Barclay

Battle-Nolan

Odessa

Beckenholdt

Mary

Bedenbaugh

Andrea

Montgomery County Government Baltimore County Department of Health Adventist HealthCare

sylviaassiamah@yahoo.com

obattlenolan121@yahoo.com mbeckenholdt@ baltimorecountymd.gov abedenba@ adventisthealthcare.com

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 40

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name Belk

First Name

Organization

Email

Ivorie

Adventist HealthCare

ivorie.belk@adventisthealthcare.com

Bennett

Terri

Adventist HealthCare

tbennett@adventisthealthcare.com

Bhagwat

Elise

Adventist Behavioral Health

ebhagwat@adventisthealthcare.com

Bivens

Aisha

Adventist HealthCare

abivens@ahm.com

Bowie

Judy

Veterans Health Administration

judy.bowie@va.gov

Branch

Donette

Delmarva Foundation For Medical Care

branchd@dfmc.org

Kelly

Avalere Health

kbrantley@avalerehealth.net

Braun

Bonnie

UMD Horowitz Center for Health Literacy

bbraun@umd.edu

Brock

Yvonne

Adventist HealthCare

ybrock@ahm.com

Brown

Ellen

Browne

Mimi

MIMRP Project - Betah Associates, Inc.

mbrowne@betah.com

Burket

Susan

Montgomery Hospice

sburket@montgomeryhospice.org

Burrell

Takiyah

Student

takiyahburrell5@aol.com

Butler

Marilyn Veterans Administration

mbutler516@aol.com

Brantley

Montgomery County ellen.brown@montgomerycountymd.gov Government HHS

Caldwell

Teresa

Florida Hospital

teresalynn.caldwell@flhosp.org

Camacho

Carmen

WAH Governing Board

cfcamacho@comcast.net

Chan

Perry

Asian American Health Initiative

perry.chan@montgomerycountymd.gov

Chaudhry

Atyya

Asian American Health Initiative

atyya.chaudhry@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Chevalier

Dominique

Adventist HealthCare

dkchev@gmail.com

Cinada

Myrtha

Health and Human Services

myrtha.cinada@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Clarke

Shirley

Adventist Behavioral Health

sclarke@ahm.com

Clemons

Tara

Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County

tara_clemons@primarycarecoalition.org

Cochran

Dan

dcochran@ahm.com

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 41

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

First Name

Organization

Email

Cohen

Linda

Cohen

Renee

Senator Ben Cardin

renee_cohen@cardin.senat.gov

Coleman

Andrea

Montgomery County Child Welfare Services, DHHS

andrea.coleman@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Coles

Darlene

BETAH and Associates

darlene.coles@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Elizabeth

Holy Cross Hospital

collae@holycrosshealth.org

Creekmur

Pamela

Prince George’s County Health Department

pbcreekmur@co.pg.md.us

Cromwell

Andre

Adventist Behavioral Health

acromwell@adventisthealthcare.com

Dantzler

Josie

Coppin State University

josie_carter2001@yahoo.com

Dashiell

Terrie

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore

tdashiel@lifebridgehealth.org

Dawes

Daniel

Premier, Inc.

daniel_dawes@premierinc.com

Dayal

Gaurov

Adventist HealthCare

aabel@ahm.com

De Leon

Lorena

Adventist HealthCare

ldeleon2@adventisthealthcare.com

Dee

Rosita

Rosita H. Dee, MD PA

rhdeemdn2@yahoo.com

Degraffenreid

Linda

Effective Communication, LLC

ecforclarity@aol.com

Denboba

Diana

Maternal and Child Health Bureau/HRSA

ddenboba@hrsa.hob

Douge

Jackie Frederick County Health Department

jdouge@frederickcountymd.gov

Collado

Egbunine

llcdtm@comcast.net

Augustina

Coppin State

amakaegbunine@yahoo.com

Azad

MCC Medical Clinic

azadejaz@yahoo.com

Eskedar

Adventist HealthCare

eskedar.ej@terpmail.umd.edu

Elskoe

Jaime

Betah Associates

jelskoed@terpmail.umd.edu

Emery

Susan

Circle of Rights, Inc.

susanhemery@gmail.com

Epstein

Leonard

HRSA

lepstein@hrsa.gov

Everett

Jonathan

Medstar Health

jonathan.everett@medstar.net

Fabiku

Uche

Ejaz Ejigineh

uchetobidan@yahoo.com

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 42

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

First Name

Organization

Email

Fernandez

Juan

Baltimore Healthcare Access

juan.fernandez@bhca.org

Fernandez

Krizia

Primary Care Coalition

krizia.fernandez@gmail.com

Fernan-Zegarra

Paola

Montgomery County DHHS

paola.fernan-zegarra@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Flood

Sharon

Montgomery County DHHS

sharon.flood@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Folkemer

Donna

The Hilltop Institute

dfolkemer@hilltop.umbc.edu

Fontaine

David

Adventist HealthCare

dfontain@ahm.com

Forde

Terry

Adventist HealthCare

tforde@ahm.com

Fowler

Michelle

Greater Baden Medical Services, Inc

mfowler@gbms.org

Franzino

Elizabeth

Adventist HealthCare

efranzin@ahm.com

Frelick

Talya

Adventist HealthCare

tfrelick@ahm.com

Gaglio

Bridget

Kaiser Permanente

bridget.gaglio@kp.org

Lisa

Mercy Medical Center

lgallic@mdmercy.com

Garvey

Carol

Garvey Associates, Inc.

cgarvey@garveyassociates.com

Gary-Williams

Gene

National Society of Allied Health

ggarywilliams@gmail.com

Gerald

Tonya

Deco Recovery Management

tgerald@decorm.com

Gichuhi

Susan

Student

swgichuhi@yahoo.com

Giuthua

Robert

Coppin State University

robgiuthua@yahoo.com

Glass

Cindy

Adventist HealthCare

cglass2@adventisthealthcare.com

Glazer

Emily

Care For You, Inc.

emglazer@gmail.com

Glover

Susan

Adventist HealthCare

sglover@ahm.com

Florencia

Nueva Vida, Inc.

research@nueva-vida.org

Tom

Adventist HealthCare

tgrant@adventisthealthcare.com

Galliccchio

Gonzalez Grant

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 43

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

First Name

Organization

Email

Dawn

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

dawn.greenberg@cms.hhs.gov

Ana

Mont. Cty. Department of Health & Human Services

ana.guillen@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Christopher

Adventist HealthCare

chall@ahm.com

Hammen

Jayne

CMS

jayne.hammen@cms.hhs.gov

Hardy

Tonya

Lincoln Park Historical Foundation

tonhardy2000@yahoo.com

Harhaj

Christine

Avalere Health

charhaj@avalerehealth.net

Bridget

Adventist HealthCare

bhshea@ahm.com

Henry

Kemeka

Montgomery County HHS

kemeka.henry@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Herlihy

Francisca

DHHS

aleida.herlihy@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Herring

Monica

Montgomery County, Maryland DHHS

monica.herring@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Highsmith

Keisher

HRSA/MCHB

khighsmith@hrsa.gov

Karen

Montgomery County Government, DHHS

karen.hill@montgomerycountymd.gov

Kimberly

DHMH

khiner@dhmh.state.md.us

Carolyn

Asian American Health Initiative

carolyn.ho@montgomerycountymd.gov

Jean

Montgomery County MD

jean.hochron@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Greenberg

Guillen Hall

Hart Shea

Hill Hiner Ho Hochron

Montgomery County mark.hodge@montgomerycountymd.gov DHHS

Hodge

Mark

Holley

Tiffany

Coppin State University

veronicath@yahoo.com

Eusi

Montgomery Co. Minority Infant Mortality Reduction Prj

eholt@betah.coom

Houston

Avril

Health Resources and Services Administration

ahouston@hrsa.gov

Huang

Susan

Holt

Montgomery County susan.huang@montgomerycountymd.gov HHS

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 44

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name Israel Jackson Jacobs Jacques James-Taylor

First Name

Organization

Email

Smith

University of Maryland, School of Nursing

sisra002@umaryland.edu

Saundra

The African American Health Program

saundra.jackson@ montgomerycountymd.gov

C. Godfrey

SRA International

godfrey_jacobs@sra.com

Danielle

Montgomery County danDept of Health and ielle.jacques@montgomerycountymd.gov Human Service

Terrie

Montgomery Hospice

tjamestaylor@montgomeryhospice.org

Jenkins

Carmen

Montgomery County HHS

carmen.jenkins@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Jenkins

Cheryl

Montgomery County HHS

cheryl.l.jenkins@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Jenkins

Rosa

Jenkins

Sharyn

Montgomery County DHHS

sharyn.jenkins@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Jepson

Robert

Adventist HealthCare

rjepson@adventisthealthcare.com

Charlesetta

Coppin State University

ade2001gh@yahoo.com

Jones

Makaela

Student

makaela.jones@comcast.net

Jones

Susana

Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland

sjones5@ahm.com

Kaleko-Kravitz

Esther

Adventist Behavioral Health

ekravitz@adventisthealthcare.com

Kamus

Abdul

MCC Medical Clinic

abdulzekaria@yahoo.com

Barbara

Montgomery County

barbara.kaufmann@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Keen

Meredith

Montgomery County DHHS

meredith.keen@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Kelly

Ariana

Maryland Legislature

ariana.kelly@house.state.md.us

Kelly

Doreen

Montgomery County doreen.kelly@montgomerycountymd.gov DHHS

Khaldun

Joneigh

George Washington University

jskhaldun@gmail.com

Sandy

Maryland Women's Coalition For Health Care Reform

sandy@mdchcr.org

Johnson

Kaufmann

Kick

Montgomery County rosa.jenkins@montgomerycountymd.gov Health Department

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 45

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

First Name

Kingori

Grace

Klling

Blanca

Komaridis

Organization Coppin State University

Email mamadenis@hotmail.com

Montgomery blanca.kling@montgomerycountymd.gov County Police

Kathryn

Adventist HealthCare

kkomarid@adventisthealthcare.com

Margaret

Office of Minority Health

mkorto@minorithealth.hhs.gov

Krichmar

Diane

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Inc.

dkrichma@lifebridgehealth.org

Kureshi

Sarah

Georgetown Dept of Family Medicine

skureshi@gmail.com

Lam

Betty

Montgomery County DHHS

betty.lam@montgomerycountymd.gov

Larios

Xiomara

Holy Cross Hospital

xlarios@aol.com

Larsen

Jane

Montgomery County PHS, CHS, FIMR

mjanelarsen@comcast.net

Yvette

Coppin State University

ledjoyvette2003@yahoo.com

Lee

Candace

Asian American Health Initiative

candace.lee@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Lee

James

Adventist HealthCare

aabel@ahm.com

Lesesne

Evette

Montgomery County MD DHHS

evette.lesesne@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Lewald

Danielle

Adventist HealthCare

dlewald@ahm.com

Judy

Adventist HealthCare

jlichty@ahm.com

Susan

Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center

lightmans@dhmh.state.md.us

Jennifer

University of Maryland, SON

jlope003@umaryland.edu

Debra

Adventist HealthCare

dloreilh@ahm.com

Myriam

Montgomery County DHHS

myriam.louis-charles@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Peter

Mobile Med

plowet@mobilemedicalcare.org

Marilyn

Adventist HealthCare

mlynk@ahm.com

Byron

Adventist Behavioral Health

bmaldona@adventisthealthcare.com

Korto

Ledjo

Lichty Lightman Lopez Loreilhe Louis-Charles Lowet Lynk Maldonado

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 46

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name Maldonado

First Name

Organization

Email

Erin

Independent

begmal2005@aol.com

Wilbur

Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center

wilbur.malloy@tatrc.org

Arumani

Adventist HealthCare

amanisun@ahm.com

Skip

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital

smargot@ahm.com

Marks

Danielle

Sinai Hospital, Community Initiatives Department

dmarks@lifebridgehealth.org

Martin

Chris

Howard University School of Law

cjmartin20@gmail.com

Martin

Eme

Adventist HealthCare

emartin2@ahm.com

Martin

Ruth

Montgomery County DHHS

ruth.martin@montgomerycountymd.gov

Matoff-Stepp

Sabrina

Health Resources and Services Administration

smatoff-stepp@hrsa.gov

Mccann

Monica

Maryland Office of Minority and Health Disparities

mmccann@dhmh.state.md.us

Flor

National Alliance for Hispanic Health

fmckinley@hispanichealth.org

Mitchell

Jameela

Coppin State University

jameela215@yahoo.com

Mittman

Ilana

Johns Hopkins

imittman@jhsph.edu

Moon Johnson

Constance

Montgomery County Gov./Public Health

connie.johnson@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Moore

Mercedes

Latino Health Initiative

mercedes.moore@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Moraras

Pear

Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County

pear_moraras@primarycarecoalition.org

Mosby

Lajoy

Office of Minority Health RC

kmyers@minorityhealth.hhs.gov

Munoz

Emma

Language Matters

emmamunoz@verizon.net

Msache

AAHP

msache.mwaluko@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Kimberly

Office of Minority Health RC

kmyers@minorityhealth.hhs.gov

Malloy Manisundaram Margot

Mckinley

Mwaluko Myers

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 47

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name NathanPulliam

First Name

Organization

Email

Shirley

Maryland House of Delegates

shirley.nathan.pulliam@ house.state.md.us

Ndeutchoua

Laure

Coppin State University

laure_bertille@hotmail.com

Nisseau-Bey

Nikaya

Coppin State University

nisseaubey@comcast.net

O'Connor

Mary

Governor's Workforce Investment Board

moconnor@gwib.state.md.us

Odenigbo

Nonyelum

Doctor's Community Hospital

lawpatoria@yahoo.com

Ojehomon

Omoikhefe

Student

efeojehomon@yahoo.com

Okechukwu

Evangeline

Clifton T. Perkins Hospital

ochyke@yahoo.com

Millicent

Coppin State University

oseimill@yahoo.com

Muinat

Coppin State University

muinat0@gmail.com

Anuoluwapo

Med Assurant

anuotuyelu@hotmail.com

Owusu

Philomena

Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County

phowusu@yahoo.com

Padgett

John

State of Maryland

jpadgett@house.state.md.us

Pauk

Jennifer

Primary Care Coalition

jennifer_pauk@ primarycarecoalition.org

Pavlin

Richard

Pesquera

Marcos

PonceGonzalez

Ileana

Portillo

Sonia

Adventist HealthCare

sportill@adventisthealthcare.com

Powell

Anita Neal

Lincoln Park Historical Foundation

lincolnparkhist@aol.com

Prunty

Virginia

Raheem

Amirah

Coppin State University

amirahx1@yahoo.com

Ramos

Gloria

Baltimore Healthcare Access, Inc.

gramos@baltimorecity.gov

Ramos

Ina

Osei Oseni Otuyelu

pav9@verizon.net Adventist HealthCare

mpesquer@ahm.com

AHRQ ileana.ponce-gonzalez@ahrq.hhs.gov

vprunty@ahm.com

The Maryland Center at Bowie State University

iramos@bowiestate.edu

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 48

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name Ramsey

Reeves Reguerin Rehr Reinckens

First Name

Organization

Email

Gloria

Uniformed Services University of the Health Science

gramsey@usuhs.mil

Iris

MD Mental Hygiene Administration

ireeves@dhmh.state.md

Ariana

Student

ariana.reguerin@comcast.net

Rebecca

University of Maryland School of Public Health

rrehr09@yahoo.com

Tina Coppin State University

jreinckens@coppin.edu

Teen Ambassadors Against Health Disparities

amalia.oven@comcast.net

Rivera Oven

Amalia

Rivera-Oven

Grace

grace.rivera@comcast.net

Robertson

William

Adventist HealthCare

wroberts@ahm.com

Robin

Ntiense

Student

ntienserobin@yahoo.com

Rocha

Maria

Latino Health Initiative, Montgomery County

zurciramhelena@yahoo.com

Romero

Candy

Latino Health Initiative, Montgomery County

gianina.hasbun@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Colleen

MCG DHHS

colleen.ryan-smith@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Marya

Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland

msabalba@ahm.com

Lourdes

HHS, Women's Cancer Control Program

lourdes.sanchez@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Sandberg

Gwen

Health and Human Services

gwendolyn.sandberg@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Scott

Donna

Adventist HealthCare

dscott@ahm.com

Kathleen

Montgomery County DHHS

kathleen.sheedy@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Sheehan

Jarrod

Teen Ambassadors

jsheehan@prep.org

Sheehan

Terrence

Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland

tsheehan@ahm.com

Donald

Center for Health Promotion & Education

dshell@dhmh.state.md.us

Ryan Smith Sabalbaro Sanchez

Sheedy

Shell

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 49

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

First Name

Organization

Email

Smedley

Brian Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Sosa

Ivette

We Interpret

ivette@weinterpret.net

Sosa

Sylvia

Maternal and Child Health Bureau

ssosa@hrsa.gov

Amy

Amerigroup

astaffo@amerigroupcorp.com

Margo

MS Associates

accentsmsa@aol.com

Summers

Michael

Maryland General Assembly

michael.summers@house.state.md.us

Swanson

Christy

Sweeney

Thomas

Washington Adventist Hospital

tsweeney@ahm.com

Takamoto

Richard

Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group

richard.takamoto@kp.org

Tang

Gayle

Kaiser Permanente

gayle.tang@kp.org

Tate

Earlene

N/A

etate74@yahoo.com

Taylor

Duane

American Academy of Otolaryngology, Montgomery Cares

levisagemd@onebox.com

Taylor

Michelle

Betah Associates Inc.

mtaylor@betah.com

Thompson

Andrea

Marblestone Consulting Group

andrea@marblestoneconsulting.com

Thompson

Michael

Marblestone Consulting Group

michael@marblestoneconsulting.com

Thompson

Wendy-Jo

Adventist HealthCare

wthompso@ahm.com

Pamela

Mary Washington Healthcare

pamela.thorpe@mwhc.com

Isabel

Montgomery Hospice

itom@montgomeryhospice.org

Toolsie

Lena

Ad Astra, Inc.

lena@ad-astrainc.com

Toruno

Brigitta

UNO Translations and Communications, LLC

btoruno@unocommunications.net

Stafford Stein

Thorpe Tom

bsmedley@jointcenter.org

cswanso2@ahm.com

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 50

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

First Name

Organization

Email

Crystal

Healthcare Initiative Foundation

crystal.townsend@hifmc.org

Triantis

Maria

Community

mtriantis@gmail.com

Tunkara

Nyima

Coppin State University

ntunkara@yaho.com

ValentinoSmith

Geraldine

State of Maryland

geraldine.valentino@house.state.md.us

Vandeman

Robert

Columbia Union Conference of SDA

rvandeman@columbiaunion.net

Vaughn

Pamela

Adventist Behavioral Health

pvaughn@adventisthealthcare.com

Vazquez

Mary

Innovative Consultants International

vazquez51@verizon.net

Visaggio

Stella

Townsend

svisaggi@hrmcnj.org

Anh

Montgomery County HHS

anh.vo@montgomerycountymd.gov

Doris

Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States

doris.r.voigt@kp.org

Wadhwani

Kishena

DHHS/AHRQ

kishena.wadhwani@ahrq.hhs.gov

Wadhwani

Teresa

Fairfax Radiology Consultants

twadhwan@gmail.com

Washington

Deidre

Adventist HealthCare

dwashin2@adventisthealthcare.com

Barbette

Adventist HealthCare

belder@ahm.com

Weng

Jamie

MCD HHS, Asian American Health Initiative

jamie.weng@montgomerycountymd.gov

Wessel

Lois

Association of Clinicians for the Underserved

lois.wessel@gmail.com

Wheeler

Tawana

The People's Community Wellness Center

twheeler_tpcwc@tpcbc.org

Williams

Deloris

MCD HMSs

deloris.williams@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Williams

Dionne

University of Maryland, College Park

missdwilli36@yahoo.com

Williams

Ivanette

Sinai Hospital

ivanettew@gmail.com

Williams

Ranita

Montgomery Health and Human Services

ranita.williams@ montgomerycountymd.gov

Vo Voigt

Weimer-Elder

2011 Annual Conference Proceedings Page 51

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LIST Last Name

First Name

Organization

Email

Williams

Sonja

National Center For Health Statistics, CDC

sonja.williams@cdc.hhs.gov

Williamson

Louise

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital

lwillia7@adventisthealthcare.com

Wilson

Cheri

Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions

chwilson@jhsph.edu

Wong

Jeremy

Adventist HealthCare

jwong@ahm.com

Wong

Ka

Montgomery County DHHS

ka.wong@montgomerycountymd.gov

Yamson

Vincentia

Coppin State University

vyamson67@yahoo.com

Young

Pamela

LifeBridge Health

pyoung@lifebridgehealth.org

Zook

Kathleen

University of Maryland, School of Public Health

kathleen.zook@gmail.com

Page 52

Please contact us: Center on Health Disparities 1801 Research Boulevard Suite 300 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 300 ● Rockville, MD 20850 Phone: 301.315.3184 ● Fax: 301.315.3118