“A Seat at the Table Webinar Series: Community Views Around Healthcare Disparities Faced by African Americans” event details
1. Panel discussion focused on Sickle Cell Disease
Live panel discussion:
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020
4-5 pm CST / 5-6 pm EST
- Featuring community advocates, healthcare experts, sickle cell patients and families
- Exploring the true experiences had by someone living with sickle cell disease
Moderator: Tyrone “DJ Bizzon” Miller
All are encouraged to view “Spilled Milk” prior to the discussion though you will still be able to actively participate without having viewed the movie
Spilled Milk is a film about two lifelong friends – a white man from Utah and a Black man from New Jersey. Omar is living with sickle cell disease; Jaqai has uprooted his life to make a documentary about him. (Available on YouTube)
Panelists:
Greg Asmus
Field Marketing Manager of Transfusion Medicine, Versiti Diagnostic Laboratories
James Griffin III
Author, Breaking Silence: Living with Sickle Cell Anemia; Advocate
Cynthia Leonard RN, MSN
Program Coordinator, Sickle Cell Disease Clinic, Froedtert
Emily Meier, MD, MSHS
Director, Sickle Cell Research at Indiana Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Jaqai Mickelsen
“Spilled Milk” Film Director
Latoya Stamper, MSW, APSW
Lead Social Worker, Children’s Wisconsin; Wisconsin sickle cell program and hematology clinic
2. Panel discussion focused on Organ Donation
Live panel discussion:
Tuesday Nov. 24, 2020
4-5 pm CST / 5-6 pm EST
- Featuring community advocates, healthcare experts, organ donor family
- Sharing the intimate journey of organ donation from multiple family perspectives
Moderator: Pastor Christopher R. Boston
All are encouraged to view “A Question of Faith” prior to the discussion though you will still be able to actively participate without having viewed the movie.
In A Question of Faith, a judge remands Maria to a juvenile detention center after the teen strikes 12-year-old Eric with her car while texting. Joining Eric in the hospital is Michelle, a young singer who collapses while auditioning for a major record label. As their respective parents begin to question their faith, a chain of events brings all three families together in unexpected ways. (Available on Prime Video)
Panelists:
Colleen McCarthy
Chief of Staff and Vice President of Organ and Tissue Donation, Versiti
Terra Pearson, MD
Transplant Surgeon, Froedtert Hospital
Colette Shumpert
Donor Mom
Angela White
Producer of “A Question of Faith”
3. Panel discussion focused on Healthcare Disparities
Live panel discussion:
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020
4-5 pm CST / 5-6 pm EST
- Featuring community advocates, healthcare experts, patients and families
- Focusing on the system that results in healthcare disparity for communities of color
Moderator: Vivian King
All are encouraged to view “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” prior to the discussion though you will still be able to actively participate without having viewed the movie.
About The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: In 1951, cancerous cells from Henrietta Lacks lead to breakthroughs that change the face of medicine forever. Aided by writer Rebecca Skloot, Deborah Lacks embarks on a quest to learn about the mother she never knew. (Available on Prime Video, Hulu or HBO.)
Panelists:
Stacy Crouther
Living Kidney Recipient
Dr. Bashir Easter
Assistant Director, All Of Us Research
Ed Jenkins
Founder, Lalo’s Lunchbox LLC; Sickle Cell Patient
Stephanie Jones
MSI Quality and Research Supervisor, Versiti
Shelley Mitchell
Regional Manager of Donor Recruitment, Versiti
Did you know?
One in 10 African American babies are born with sickle cell trait, and blood transfusions are the most common way to treat sickle cell disease.
- Annually, about eight consistent blood donors support one person living with sickle cell disease.
- African Americans are the largest diverse race in need of an organ transplant – 32,000 to be exact, on the national wait list.
- High rates of diabetes and high blood pressure contribute to the increased risk of organ failure in African Americans.
- African Americans are gravely underrepresented in the blood donor population.
These existing healthcare disparities require greater attention to make a substantial impact for people who need it most. By presenting “A Seat at the Table,” Versiti is looking to better engage African American communities across our five-state footprint (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin) in a fun, impactful and informative way.
Everyone in Versiti’s footprint is welcome to attend: blood, platelet and plasma donors/recipients; marrow donor and recipients; organ and tissue donors/family members, Versiti team members; blood drive hosts; volunteers; community and faith leaders; educators; friends, family and neighbors – everyone!