Morehouse School of Medicine, in partnership with The White House Office of Public Engagement & Office of National AIDS Policy, recently hosted the fourth White House Conference on HIV/AIDS at Morehouse School of Medicine’s Louis W. Sullivan National Center for Primary Care.
The White House Conference on HIV/AIDS offers advocates, community leaders and members of the public an opportunity to engage with the Obama Administration on issues related to the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the LGBT community, with a specific focus on the National HIV/AIDS strategy.
“Morehouse School of Medicine is honored to host an event with such direct impact for our communities,” said Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D., Dean and Executive Vice President, Morehouse School of Medicine, just prior to the conference. “HIV/AIDS is one of our important areas of research and an issue that not only affects the LGBT community, but the minority community as well. We are excited to be part of this national conversation and share our knowledge and research regarding HIV/AIDS health disparities.”
Dr. Montgomery Rice welcomed the 300 conference attendees, along with Grant Colfax, MD, Director, White House Office of National Aids Policy. The group received detailed updates from senior officials from The White House, key agencies and departments, and had the opportunity to connec with federal government resources through workshop sessions. Additionally, attendees provided feedback through the “Open Space” process.
Expert panelists discussed how to: overcome disparities among different populations; improve health outcomes through science, policy and practice; and frame the data. Highlights included the following speakers:
• Kevin Fenton, M.D., Ph.D., Director, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Allison Nichols, Chief, Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice
• David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Satcher Health Leadership Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, 16th Surgeon General of the United States, 10th Assistant Secretary for Health, former Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• David Malebranche, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
