Debut Hybrid Event Features Community Health Fair and STEM Program 

NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ — As the nation continues to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy, lack of access to quality health care, and social disadvantages are still contributing to health disparities among African Americans. What are the next steps in dealing with these issues?

On Saturday, April 30th, from 9 am – 5 pm EST, Black Health Matters (BHM) will, for the first time, present a hybrid – in-person and virtual – health forum, the Black Health Matters Spring Health Summit. This free event that will draw together some of the nation’s most notable physicians, nurses, scientists, celebrities, and influencers to educate and empower African Americans families about their health and wellness.  The in-person portion of the event will take place at The Riverside Church in Harlem, 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY and will also be live-streamed virtually throughout the country.  A light lunch and breakfast will be served for in-person attendees.

“It’s thrilling to be back on the ground in the community, and to be able to provide people of color with the tools, resources and inspiration to better advocate for their health” said Roslyn Y. Daniels, publisher of Black Health Matters. “Since BHM annually produces the largest health forum series in the country that is dedicated to African Americans, we have become the gold standard for creating events that deliver empowering health information to our attendees. We are particularly excited to be able to offer a virtual STEM program for high school students that will inspire the next generation of scientists and medical professionals.” To register for free and to see more about the topics and speakers, visit www.bhmsummits.com.

Highlighted presenters at the Spring Health Summit include Dr. Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Malik Yoba, Actor and Hearth Health Advocate; Dr. Michelle Morse, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; S. Epatha Merkerson, Actor and Diabetic – Type 2; Matthew Knowles, PhD, Founder of Music World Entertainment and Breast Cancer Survivor; Sherri Prentiss, MD, Shingles Presenter; Kurtis Blow, Hip Hop Icon and Heart Transplant Survivor; Tatyana Ali, Actress and Maternal Health Advocate; Jermaine Hogstrom, D.O. and Jeremy Hogstrom, D.O., the “Twin Doctors J”, Internal Medicine & Social Media Doctors. Donna Richardson Joyner, National Wellness Advisor, will start the morning off with an in-person and virtual wellness workout session. Rev. Al Sharpton, President of the National Action Network, will also be available to do a one-hour book signing. Several other nationally recognized medical and wellness experts will be on hand to lead stimulating and informative presentations and discussions throughout the day.

New to this Summit:  BHM will partner with the Auxiliary to the National Medical Association (ANMA) to host a special “virtual” STEM Program during the Summit, from 12 pm to 3:30pm EST.  The STEM program will expose high school and college students to top physician and scientific experts as they provide an overview of opportunities that exist for advances in science and for professional achievement.

Registrants will hear about timely health topics such as: Alzheimer’s Disease, Breast Cancer, Clinical Trials, COVID-19, Diabetes, Endometrial Cancer, Health Equity, Heart Health, HIV/AIDS, Kidney Disease, Maternal Health, Mental Health, Prostate Cancer, Public Health, Rare Disease, Shingles, Sickle Cell, STEM, Vaccine Hesitancy and Vaping.

How Attendees Will Benefit:

• Enjoy with an energizing morning workout with Donna Richardson Joyner
• Get access to free health screenings, including prostate cancer, available to in-person attendees
• Choose from over 13 engaging and informative presentations and discussions around health issues that affect African Americans
• Video chat directly with health industry specialists and network with community partners and exhibitors about a wide variety of wellness topics
• Visit virtual and on-site exhibit booths
• Download valuable informational materials to a virtual “swag bag” that is emailed to their personal account
• Win great prizes in the Leaderboard contest by actively participating on the extraordinary virtual platform

The sponsors of the Summit include AHEAD 3-45 Study, Biogen, Boehringer Ingelheim, FibroGen, Forma Therapeutics, Genentech, GSK, Health4Equity, Hibiscus Study, Janssen, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Research Includes Me, Travere Therapeutics, and Vertex.

Program Partners are the Auxiliary to the National Medical Association, Inc., Global Health and Community Services, Inc., and the Greater NYC Black Nurses Association.  Featured Community Partners include Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; Atlantic Region Zeta of Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; Black Nurses Consortium; Coalition on Positive Health Empowerment; The Charmettes, Inc.; Harlem Health Advocacy Partners; Jack and Jill of America, Inc.; The Links Incorporated; National Action Network; National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives; National Pancreas Foundation; National Pan-Hellenic, Washington D.C.; The National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc.; OXZGEN CBD; Northeast Province of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Seventh District; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.; Senior Talk Media; Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.; and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

About Black Health Matters 
Black Health Matters (BHM) was launched a decade ago, and is the leading health, wellness and chronic disease interactive digital platform dedicated to improving health outcomes among African Americans. BHM has collaborated with a wide range of partners, including fraternities, sororities, and faith-based and civic organizations to raise awareness around chronic diseases, mental and physical health, and fitness in the Black community. The organization’s mission is to improve health literacy, which includes addressing health care, health policy, health equity, and health disparities for better results. For more information go to www.blackhealthmatters.com

SOURCE Black Health Matters