On February 21st we held our annual forum on the State of Black Health. We were honored this year, to have four distinguished panelists share their views with those in attendance. Dr. Thomas Butler, a transpalnt surgeon from Penn State described the inequalities when it comes to transplant health in the black community. Dr. Sharee Livingston an OB-GYN from UPMC talked about the issues facing black mothers and pregnant women. COL (Ret) James E. Williams Jr., Board Chairman for the Pennsylvania Prostate Cancer Coalition, shared his story as a prostate cancer survivor and stressed the importance of regular health checks and proactive health rather than reactive. Ronnessa Edwards, Human Relations Representative III at the PA Human Relations Commission, spoke of the mental health issues that affect the black community and the intersection of race and bias on mental health.
Thank you to Highmark Blue Shield and PA Humanities for making this event possible.
