Health Equity Forums

June 17, 2021, 12:00p PST – Black Men and Prostate Cancer

In the U.S., prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Prostate cancer represents 30% of all cancers among Black men, and 15% of cancer-related deaths. Unfortunately, Black men are twice as likely to die of prostate cancer compared to White males. This Health Equity Forum featured opening remarks from California State Assemblymember Mike Gipson on current bills to improve access to health services for colorectal and prostate cancer. The session also featured Pfizer’s immediate past Chief Patient Officer Dr. Dara Richardson-Heron who spoke about Pfizer’s multicultural and health equity initiatives, their efforts to address cancer disparities and encourage screening and early cancer detection, and their commitment to diversity in clinical trial participation. Dr. Richardson-Heron’s talk was followed by a panel discussion on prostate cancer disparities in Black men featuring Dr. Rick Kittles of City of Hope’s Comprehensive Cancer Center and Mark Kennedy of Boston Public Health Commission’s Department of Population Sciences.

May 21, 2021, 1:00p PST – COVID-19: From Research to Community

The California Black Health Network hosted a conversation with Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, the NIH researcher who oversaw the development of the COVID-19 and Dr. Noha Aboelata, a champion for improving the health of marginalized communities. Attendees learned about the “real story” of the development of the COVID-19 vaccines and participated in an interactive Q&A about vaccine efficacy, safety, and confidence for the Black community. Click image below to view video.

March 24, 2021 12:00p PST – Women’s History Month Health Equity Forum
A conversation with Dr. Vivian Pinn, the inaugural full-time director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), followed by a Q&A. Dr. Pinn is a woman of many firsts, and has broken many glass ceilings in medicine during her stellar career. She was elected to Modern Healthcare’s Hall of Fame, the first African American woman to be so honored and is also a recipient of the New York Academy of Medicine Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Health Policy. Click image below to view video.

February 25, 2021, 12:30p PST – Black History Month Health Equity Forum
The California Black Health Network hosted a conversation with Jeri Lacks, granddaughter of Henrietta Lacks, followed by an audience Q&A to learn more about the “real story” of Henrietta Lacks, her contributions to medical research, what the family is doing in honor of her legacy, and what the new Henrietta Lacks Enhancing Cancer Research Act of 2019 means for the Black community. Click image below to view video.