PIT CREW APPROACH TO RECLAIM HER HEALTH AND IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES
BY DR. ANTHONISE FIELDS
Black women are the heart of both family and community health. So, to preserve this powerful force, Enon Tabernacle Church (Leroy Miles) held its inaugural Women Know Your Numbers Health Event and invited Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) to participate. Partnering with the American Cancer Society (Paula Green), BlackDoctor.org (Horace Clark), and an esteemed panel of experts representing critical nodes in the healthcare system, we took time to acknowledge the barriers to prioritizing one’s health. But we came to encourage and deliver a message of patient empowerment through shared decision-making and self-advocacy for access to screening, clinical trials, and innovative treatments. And that we did!
Dr. Chanita Hughes-Halbert contextualized the health gap and offered behavioral and structural interventions. Dr. Deric C. Savior, MD FCPP emphasized patient voice and equitable access to innovative treatment as levers to improve outcomes. Dr. April Sorrell clarified misinformation on clinical trials. Finally, Ms. Jamil Rivers inspired us with a powerful story of grit, determination, personal health literacy, and channeling her challenges to advocacy, for over 10,000 breast cancer patients through The Chrysalis Initiative.
Because reaching the community is a passion for many of us, a committed team of volunteers answered my call and made this happen within one month. But some made extraordinary sacrifices; Thank you, Dr. Chanita Hughes Halpert, for flying from LA to Philadelphia for mere hours to participate live. Thank you to Dr. Savior for adding this to an already full schedule.
I am inspired!
Thank you to the BMS BOLD Community, Dr. April Sorrell – you are fabulous, Monique Phillips, PMP for your support, Ashley Saunders, PharmD, MPH, MSc Star co-lead who partnered with me on this while finalizing her dissertation, Sheila Bullock – My right hand and PM extraordinaire, Nnenna Kalu, MPharm, MHA, MBA, Ijeoma Nwosu Oyetunde, PharmD, Chakita Williams, Ph.D., Christina Twyman-Saint Victor, Shodeinde Coker MD, MSc, Maurice Bellfield, Shamika Williams, Sherell McDearmon, Cathy Florek, Adam Taliaferro, Erika Heiges, MPH, CHES, Dawn Johnson, Jackie Tubens MSN, RN OCN; Tracey Gladden, and so many more!
