According to the January 2020, Healthy North Carolina 2030 Report, there are stark disparities in life expectancy across race, geography, and gender, as well as intersections of these characteristics that show wide gaps between groups. African Americans, American Indians, people in rural areas, and men typically have lower life expectancies than the average. The disparities for African American patients compared to white patients are due in part to issues stemming from limited health care access, lack of trust in medical professionals, social and economic factors like racism and unemployment. Racial disparities are unremitting and widespread within the African American population.

The causes of disparities for African American patients are multifactorial – including historical oppression, implicit bias toward African American patients, community mistrust, lack of diversity within the healthcare field, and social determinants of health, to name a few. The goal of this symposium is to have healthcare providers apply learned evidenced-based strategies from African American healthcare leaders across the nation in order to continue to improve the health of African Americans. This symposium will increase participants' knowledge and awareness of racism as a public health crisis while analyzing the different types of healthcare disparities that specifically affect African American patients.

Click here to view our speakers and topics for this year’s event.

Registration is now open for healthcare providers including Internists, Family Practice Physicians, Advanced Practice Providers including PAs and NPs, Nurses, Cardiologists, OB/GYN Physicians/Providers, Certified Mid-Wives, Community Members, Residents, Medical Students, and Health System Administrators.

This Symposium will be held in person at Mountain Area Health Education Center, 121 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803. Due to COVID-19 limitations, in-person participants must adhere to the MAHEC COVID-19 guidelines which will be explained upon registration. Participants who prefer to attend virtually also have that option, which can be chosen at the time of registration.

Early registration is from now through October 28th. Fees will increase after October 28th through November 12th.

Click the button below to register today.

The 2nd Annual Asheville African American Health Symposium is hosting a dinner and dialogue around “The Role of the Black Church in Healthcare” on November 11th at 7:30pm.

Our dialogue for this event will be led by The Reverend Rodney S. Sadler, Jr., PhD.

Rodney S. Sadler, Jr. is a graduate of Howard University (1989, B.S. Psychology/Philosophy), Howard University School of Divinity (1992, M.Div.), and Duke University (2001, Ph.D. Hebrew Bible and Biblical Archaeology), and has also studied at Hebrew University (1990). He is an ordained Baptist minister and presently serves as Associate Pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church and Associate Professor of Bible at Union Presbyterian Seminary. Dr. Sadler's work in the community includes terms as a board member of Siegel Avenue Partners and Mecklenburg Ministries. He currently serves on the boards of Loaves and Fishes, the Hispanic Summer Program, and the Executive Committee of the North Carolina NAACP. His activism includes work with the Community for Creative Non‐Violence in D.C., Durham C.A.N., H.E.L.P. Charlotte, the Middle East Peace Working Group, and the U.S. Africa Ebola Working Group. He is Vice Chair of People Demanding Action, Vice Chair of the Justice Action Mobilization Network, Vice Chair of the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice, the Co‐chair of the Truth Reconciliation and Anti‐poverty Commission, and has worked organizing clergy with, and developing theological resources for, the Forward Together/Moral Monday Movement in North Carolina. In addition, Dr. Sadler hosts a weekly national radio program for the People Demanding Action Network called, the "Politics of Faith." He currently serves as the North Carolina NAACP chairperson of their Healthcare Committee. He is a widely published author and editor. Among his research interests are the intersection of race and Scripture, the impact of our images of Jesus for the perpetuation of racial thought in America, the development of African American biblical interpretation in slave narratives, the enactment of justice in society based on biblical imperatives, and the intersection of religion and politics. Dr. Sadler resides in Charlotte with his wife, Dr. Madeline McClenney‐Sadler (president of the ExodusFoundation.org) and his daughter Ariyah Sadler, where he has lived since 2002.

This dinner and dialogue will take place at MAHEC. This event is RSVP only, and participants must be registered for the Symposium to reserve a seat. This event is open to clergy and healthcare providers.

Click here to register for the conference.

RSVP’s are first come first serve. Please complete the form below to RSVP.

MAHEC's 15,000-square-foot Simulation Center is located on MAHEC's Biltmore Campus and features operating, trauma, labor and delivery, task training, and clinic rooms, as well as conference rooms for debriefing. Our simulation center provides medical professionals and students with the opportunity to practice real-life hospital, in-office, and emergency scenarios using a variety of simulation modalities for experiential learning including high fidelity manikins, task trainers, laparoscopic surgery, endoscopy/bronchoscopy, point-of-care ultrasound, virtual reality simulators and standardized patients.

This interactive simulation experience was created to mitigate the effects of mistrust in patient-provider relationships within the Black community. Each of the three sessions are separated by specialty to ensure participants are met with patients who are similar to those they encounter on a daily basis. In these sessions, participants will individually work through two patient encounters. Join us for a tour of MAHEC's state of the art Simulation Center and in-depth sessions on communication, patient simulation experiences, and resident experiences. All sessions are designed to provide further education and demonstrate the Simulation Center experience for both patients and providers. The pre-con Simulation day will end with a group debrief to further develop interpersonal skills. Upon completing this interactive simulation experience, participants will be able to have a better understanding of how bias plays a role in caring for patients of color in any healthcare setting.

This event is RSVP only with a limited capacity of 40 participants. Reserved seats are first come first serve.

RSVP by completing the form below.

**Each participant must register for the conference to attend this event.

Click here to register.

This webinar session will address healthcare guidelines that directly impact patients based on their race.  The journal article we are reviewing from the New England Journal of Medicine is titled “Hidden in Plain Sight – Reconsidering the Use of Race Correction in Clinical Algorithms”.  This article exposes race based medical guidelines that impact healthcare in many different specialties including Cardiology, Nephrology, and Obstetrics/Gynecology.

Our panelist Dr. Yvette Miller, is the Executive Medical Officer for the American Red Cross.  She has had a long career with Red Cross, serving in various leadership capacities including regional Medical Director and Director of Automated Collections and Clinical Services.  As the Executive Medical Officer, she oversees donor eligibility determination, product management and donor management.  Dr. Miller’s areas of expertise include donor recruitment and retention in the African American community to support the transfusion needs of patients with Sickle Cell Disease, equitable access to blood donation for all underrepresented communities and leading conversations on addressing structural racism and bias and the impact of access to healthcare, economic development and education.

Dr. Augustus Parker, III currently serves as the Medical Director for Novant Healthcare’s Women’s Urgent Care Centers.  He is an OB/GYN Physician and a Community Ambassador and Facilitator in Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity.  He was recently appointed to the Faculty Leadership for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine Branch Campus in Charlotte, North Carolina.  In addition, he is the City Coordinator for the African American Wellness Initiative for Charlotte, and a published author who recently released his book, “Mining Diamonds”.

Frederick Murphy is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor.  He is a graduate of Tennessee State and Bethune Cookman University.  He has a masters degree in Transformative Leadership and serves on the board of the James K. Polk historic site in Pineville, NC, and the Slave Dwelling Project in Ladson, SC.  He owns and operates a private practice as a psychotherapist in Charlotte, NC.   He is also the founder of History Before Us, LLC, a project centered on capturing, preserving, and advocating influential history.  His first film, the award-winning “The American South as We Know It”, explores the lives of survivors of Jim Crow – the courageous individuals who didn’t make the headlines.  His second documentary entitled “The Other Side of the Coin: Race, Generations & Reconciliation”, is a collection of experiences and thoughts addressing the complexities of race in America.  Mr. Murphy finds joy in helping people achieve and retain an optimum level of functioning by focusing on their holistic health. 

This session will be moderated by Leslie Council, the Manager of Marketing and Sales for the Department of Continuing Professional Development and organizational Equity Consultant at MAHEC.  Leslie is thoroughly involved in our community here in Asheville and serves on the Board of Directors for the Western North Carolina Medical Society, Co-Chairs the AHEC Statewide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, Medical Minority Mentoring Program Steering Committee, and owns the local nonprofit My Sistah Taught Me That.

Join us for our first quarterly webinar on Friday, February 11, 2022 from Noon to 1:00pm.  This session will be a review of the New England Journal of Medicine article entitled “The Pathophysiology of Racial Disparities”, written by Dr. Amanda Calhoun. 

Dr. Calhoun has authored over 10 publications in national journals.  She is a Yale Psychiatry Resident in the Albert J. Solnit Integrated Adult/Child Psychiatry Program.  Joining her will be Dr. Yvette Miller, Executive Director of the American Red Cross, and Dr. Augustus Parker III, a Board Certified OB/GYN physician who is the current Medical Director of Novant Healthcare’s Women’s Urgent Care Centers in Charlotte, North Carolina.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Join us on Friday, September 10th at Noon to hear what to expect at our upcoming in-person Symposium held in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina! The Symposium will be held October 1-3, 2021 at The DoubleTree Hotel in Biltmore Village.

Learn about the topics, speakers, special events, pre-conference activities, and more during this discussion.

A link to register for the in-person conference will be uploaded soon!

According to The Black Men’s Health Project, Black Men are 30% more likely to die from heart disease, 60% more likely to die from stroke than non-Hispanic white men, 75% less likely to have health insurance than white men, and 9 times more likely to die from AIDS. For too long there has not been a lot of research and data that help to support Black Men that could help towards breaking down the barriers of their care.

Join us on Friday, July 16th at Noon to discuss the impact of disease on Black Men. This session will be moderated by Dr. Marc Duverseau, a recent graduate of MAHEC’s General Surgery Residency Program. Our panelists are Dr. Quinton Cancel, Urological Surgeon at Mission Urology in Asheville, NC; Dr. Harold “Woody” Neighbors, Scientific Advisor at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities in Bethesda, Maryland; and Dr. Vincent Sevier, Chief Medical Officer for Methodist Hospitals in Gary and Merrillville, Indiana.

*Note - Date and time subject to change based on speaker availability. Sign up for updates here.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for African American patients across the United States. There are many contributing factors and many facets of this disease, including hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, just to name a few. Join us on Friday, June 11th at Noon to hear from experts across the country provide dialogue around heart diseases and tools and tips toward how our medical community can address this healthcare disparity among African American patients.

The moderator for this session is Francisco Castelblanco, DNP, RN, Chair of the Department of Continuing Professional Development at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC), and Adjuct Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing. Our panelists are Jan Pattanayak, MD, FACC, Interventional Cardiologist at Asheville Cardiology Associates; Robin Smith, RDCS, RCCS, FASE, CEO and owner of Cardiovascular Concepts in Summerville, South Carolina; and Alfred Gorman, CEO and President of Apex Heart Health in Savannah, Georgia.

Recruiting Black providers is a challenging task in America. While there are numerous pipeline programs into medicine, the reality is that the challenges and barriers that Black people face entering the field of medicine often detours them from reaching their goals. On the other hand, for those who have maintained their course and are successfully working in the field of medicine as providers, retaining them within certain areas of the country and in some health systems is an even more difficult task.

Join us on Friday, May 14th at Noon to discuss these challenges and offer tips on how to better recruit and retain Black healthcare providers.

This session will be moderated by Evodie Versulien, MD, 2nd year Family Medicine Resident at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville, NC. Our panelists are Marc Duverseau, MD 5th Year General Surgery Resident at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville, NC; LaTonya Summers, PhD, Assistant Professor at Jacksonville University and Founder of the Black Mental Health Symposium in Jacksonville, FL; and Harold Campbell, MD, 5th Year General Surgery Resident at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville, NC.

History has shown that for centuries, Black men and women have been targeted within their communities to enter the penal system in one way or another. There are many disparities against Black men and women that have created a heightened awareness over the last few years, especially June 2020 when the video of George Floyd’s death circulated across the country. So many names continue to be honored across the country to call out police brutality towards Black men and women. To this day, there men and women who remain imprisoned for minor offenses, or were wrongfully accused, while others are given lesser sentences or less harsh punishments after committing the same crimes.

This session will highlight the stories of men and women who have experienced injustices within the penal system as well as bring awareness to the impact of health disparities while inmates are incarcerated and after they are released. We will also discuss which avenues of support provided to prison systems in response to COVID-19.

This session will be moderated by Mr. Michael Hayes, CEO and Founder of Umoja Health and Wellness Center. Our panelists include Ms. Dominique Goodmond, CEO and Founder of Correctional Views in Raleigh, NC; Dr. Shuchin Shukla, Faculty Physician and Opiod Educator at MAHEC in Asheville, NC; and Ms. Belinda Gillespie, NC Certified Peer Support Specialist in the Department of Psychiatry at MAHEC in Asheville, NC.

The session will take place on Friday, April 16, 2021 at Noon.

Lifestyle Medicine, Preventive Medicine, and Natural/Holistic Medicine are pathways to decreasing long term health issues for all patients. Within the African American population of patients in particular, there are many opportunities to avoid the statistical data around terminal illnesses while utilizing preventative practices. Join us for a discussion on the newest advancements in Lifestyle Medicine on March 12th at Noon.

This session will be moderated by Dr. Brian Asbill, Board Certified Lifestyle Medicine Cardiologist who is launching a new practice this year. Our panelists are Dr. Chanda Macias, CEO and owner of National Holistic Healing Center (NHHC); Dr. Andra Sullivan, owner of Dr. Sullivan Center for National Healing in Washington, DC; and Lourdes Lorenz-Miller, visionary of Healing Integrative Health Care and Project ECHO Manager at MAHEC in Asheville, NC.

Click here to submit a question to the panelists prior to this session.

In honor of Black History Month, our February webinar session will be focused on the effects of historical trauma in Black patients. In healthcare, Black patients have suffered traumatic events from being used in medical trials without consent, to having the worst outcomes from treatments that white patients benefit from. There are data that have proven disparities have not improved, but rather have remained the same over the course of centuries or become tragically worse.

This conversation will be moderated by one of MAHEC’s honor students, Seth Bellamy. Seth is a high school student who is in his senior year and is participating in the Medical Minority Mentoring Program. Our speakers are Kimberly Knight, MSW, LCSWA from the Orange County Department on Aging in Raleigh, North Carolina; Frederick Murphy, LCMHC from Atrium Health and Founder of the History Before Us Project in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Felicia Hipp, MSN, RN, CNE, Chief of Clinical Operations and Director of Nursing at MAHEC.

Join us for this conversation on Friday, February 12, 2021 at Noon.

Black women carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and are often overlooked for their symptoms from heart disease to childbirth and everywhere in between. Too many Black women are dying from pregnancy, childbirth, mental health issues, breast cancer and so much more. Data has proven that when Black women present with the same symptoms and/or complaints as their white counterparts, they are less likely to receive the same type of care. Instead, they are spoken to disrespectfully, ignored, and often mistreated to the point of losing their life.

On Friday, January 15th at Noon, we will discuss Black women’s health with Dr. William “Bill” Gist, Program Director of the OB/GYN Department at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC); Dr. Donya Wallace, of Donya Wallace Counseling and Consulting, LLC; and Mrs. Wanda Irving from Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project.

Back by popular demand! The session on the Role of the Black Church in Healthcare was so well received! We ran out of time and couldn’t answer all the questions. Join the conversation again on January 5th at Noon with Pastor Nathan Scovens, Pastor Alaysia Black Hackett, and Bishop Kaycee Lewis, moderated by Odell Dickerson, Jr.

If you have a question you’d like to submit ahead of time, email Leslie.Council.Lake@mahec.net.

See you there!

One of the greatest attributions to the health many African Americans is their strong faith that has carried them through a multitude of trials and tribulations. The role of the black church has been prominent in the majority of African American households in one way or another. Many religious organizations and affiliations were formed in an era where rights and freedom for healthcare, education, and other means of successful living were not yet granted to African Americans. It was their faith that gave them the strength to endure their individual battles.

On Friday, December 4th at Noon, we will discuss the role the black church has played historically through today with Pastor Alaysia Black Hackett, Senior Pastor of The Leviticus Church in Richmond, Virginia, Reverend Dr. Nathan Scovens, Pastor of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Pastor Kaycee Lewis, Pastor of The River of Life Church in Asheville, North Carolina.

Join us for a special bonus session that is a continuation of our conversation around mental health and the Black patient. We will continue the conversation with Victor Armstrong, MSW, Director of the North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; and Jason Branch, Ph.D, Assistant Professor at Monmouth University and Mental Health Provider in West Long Branch, New Jersey.

This session will be moderated by Leslie Council Lake, Marketing and Sales Manager for the Department of Continuing Professional Development at MAHEC. Leslie is also an Equity Consultant and the CEO of My Sistah Taught Me That, a mentoring program for young girls in Western North Carolina.

This session will take place on Monday, November 30th from 8:30am - 9:30am.

Among all of the health disparities that plague African Americans, mental health could arguably be in the top five.  Data suggests that the historical Black and African American experience in America continues to be categorized by trauma (historical and current) and violence. 

This conversation will include discussion of the stigma of mental health support which causes African Americans to feel ashamed for seeking help, display and discuss the data around suicide rates in comparison to other races, and provide professional advice to behavioral health providers and mental health workers on the importance of access to care and continued mental health support.

The panelists for this event will be Victor Armstrong; C. Jason Branch, Ph.D., and Tyrice McCoy, MA. The conversation will be moderated by national mental health Life Coach and comedian, Leo Flowers.

Asheville, North Carolina made national headlines on major news outlets in July 2020 as City Council members voted to pass a reparation bill to black residents.  The Asheville City Council apologized for the city’s historic role in slavery, discrimination and denial of basic liberties to black residents and voted to provide reparations to them and their descendants. 

Within all the topics of reparations, healthcare has been named a Public Health Crisis.  Major insurance corporations including Medicare have begun integrating social determinates of health as a way of incentivizing providers and healthcare organizations to better secure the health and well-being of black patients.

Local Asheville natives, Jacquelyn Hallum, MBA, MHA; Darin Waters, PhD.; and Sharon West, RN will share in the discussion of what reparations in healthcare looks like for black citizens who have suffered discrimination within the healthcare industry from a patient, caregiver, and healthcare employee perspective. This conversation will be moderated by William R. Hathaway, MD, FACC, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of the North Carolina Division of HCA / Mission Health.

The Civil Rights War of 2020 was sparked by the recurring tragedies that occur between law enforcement and black citizens through the untimely death of George Floyd.  Since then, the Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted several other unfortunate, unnecessary events worldwide.  One of those topics being the treatment of black patients within the healthcare system.  To this day, data has proven the inequitable treatment of black patients within healthcare systems/organizations across the country.  From the way patients are treated within these systems to the life or death decisions being made by providers which determine their health and failure to provide adequate healthcare.

Our expert panelists in this discussion are Ronny Bell, Ph.D; Cedrick Bright, MD; and Cornell Wright, MBA. This conversation will be moderated by Calvin Gardner, MBA from Stamford University.