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 The Inaugural Garth N. Graham Distinguished Lectureship Award

 

Spotlighting trail blazers that are leading the creation and advancement of health equity.

Registration is free and participants can sign up in advance by visiting: https://bit.ly/3hDqgPj

 

Atlanta, GA – September 16, 2021— Today, the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine (SHLI), The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (HSC), and YouTube announced the Inaugural Garth N. Graham Distinguished Lectureship Award. 

 

“During his tenure at HHS, Dr. Garth N. Graham yielded incredible influence as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health in the Office of Minority Health, championing and successfully aiding the establishment of the Affordable Care Act and its provisions which were destined to improve the lives of millions of Americans. His courageous actions and dedication toward advancing health equity inspired us to create this lectureship.” said Daniel Dawes, Executive Director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine and author of the “Political Determinants of Health.” “ Looking into the future, our hope is that this lectureship provides a space for public health champions and experts, to engage in an exchange of knowledge, research, innovations, and experiences with learners and professionals that will promote and advance the fight to eradicate health inequities not only at the national level but globally. This year’s inaugural honoree, the renowned Dr. David R. Williams, whose career has been focused on the impact of social influences on health such as a longitudinal study on racism and health, as well as the Everyday Discrimination Scale, encapsulates the very spirit of this award.”

 

The lectureship is named in honor of Garth N. Graham, M.D., M.P.H.. Dr. Graham is a cardiologist and public health expert, and a leading authority on social determinants of health and health equity. He has led a number of national efforts tackling health disparities and social determinants of health and dedicated his career to improving the lives of minority and underserved communities. He currently serves as Director and Global Head of Healthcare and Public Health at YouTube.

 

“We are honored to be part of the team bringing global attention to the issue of health equity,” said HSC Fort Worth President Dr. Michael R. Williams. “We are a values-based institution of higher learning. Serving others first is part of our values and a driving force in our efforts to bridge health disparities through education, research, and community outreach.”

 

This award seeks to spotlight trail blazers that are leading the creation and advancement of health equity. Staying true to this vision, the first recipient of the Distinguished Lectureship Award is a renowned speaker, public health expert and professor of public health and chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Dr. David R. Williams. His research on the social influences on health has helped us to understand the complex ways in which socioeconomic status, race, stress, racism, health behavior and religious involvement can affect health.

 

“Health equity has been at the heart of my work as a physician, academic, and public servant, and throughout my work in the healthcare and tech industry. I am deeply moved by this recognition from the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine. I am further honored that the inaugural lecture will be given by Dr. David Williams, who has been a role model and blazed a trail in the field of health equity for so many of us to follow,” said Dr. Garth Graham. “This work has never been more urgent. As we continue to battle the pandemic, the stark differences in health equity have been laid bare clear across racial, ethnic, geographic and economic lines. I thank Morehouse for continuing to prioritize and elevate this critical topic within our public health discourse.” 

 

SHLI and HSC will host the inaugural Distinguished Lectureship on Friday, October 8, 2021 12:00PM - 1:30PM EST via Zoom.

Registration is free and participants can sign up in advance by visiting: https://bit.ly/3hDqgPj

 

The Lectureship includes welcome remarks from our sponsors, a Ted-Talk style presentation from Dr. David R. Williams, as he discusses his pathway toward becoming the Health Equity Champion he is today, followed by Garth’s Table Talk featuring SHLI’s Executive Director, Daniel E. Dawes, J.D. moderating the interview with both Dr. Garth N. Graham and Dr. David R. Williams, regarding the ever changing health equity landscape in these challenging and unprecedented times.

 

About Satcher Health Leadership Institute

The Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) aims to be the leading transformational force for health equity in policy, leadership development and research. Rooted in the legacy of its founder, the 16th U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher, SHLI’s mission is to create systemic change at the intersection of policy and equity by focusing on three priority areas: the political determinants of health, health system transformation, and mental and behavioral health. In conjunction with key strategic partners, SHLI enhances leadership among diverse learners, conducts forward-thinking research on the drivers of health inequities and advances evidence-based policies, all in an effort to contribute to the achievement of health equity for all population groups. Learn more at https://satcherinstitute.org; https://healthequitynetwork.org.

 

About Morehouse School of Medicine

Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), located in Atlanta, Ga., exists to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities, increase the diversity of the health professional and scientific workforce and address primary health care through programs in education, research and service, with emphasis on people of color and the underserved urban and rural populations in Georgia, the nation and the world. MSM is among the nation’s leading educators of primary care physicians and has twice been recognized as the top institution among U.S. medical schools for its dedication to the social mission of education. The faculty and alumni are noted in their fields for excellence in teaching, research and public policy, and are known in the community for exceptional, culturally appropriate patient care. Morehouse School of Medicine is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award doctorate and master’s degrees.

 

About HSC

The University of North Texas Health Science Center is located in the heart of the Fort Worth Cultural District. HSC trains the health care providers and public health providers of the future, while expanding the frontiers of scientific discovery. In HSC’s six schools, students learn to work in teams and to develop an innovative mindset that prepares them for a rapidly changing health landscape. HSC Health, the clinical enterprise of the Health Science Center, provides patient-centered care to people across Tarrant County.

 

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