Policy Briefing Webinar: Advancing Health Equity & Addressing Medical Racism

On Wednesday June 30, The Health Equity Collaborative hosted a policy briefing webinar featuring special remarks from Congressman Bobby L. Rush of Illinois’ 1st Congressional District along with a panel of influential health experts, civil rights activists, and patient advocacy leaders who explored the root causes of health care inequities and efforts underway to address them.

Featured Speakers:

The Honorable Bobby L. Rush, Member of Congress (D-IL)

Amy Hinojosa, President & CEO, MANA, A National Latina Organization (Moderator)

Tammy Boyd, Chief Policy Officer & Counsel, Black Women’s Health Imperative

Jeanette Contreras, MPP, Director of Health Policy, National Consumers League

Kevin Kimble, Executive Director, Southern Christian Leadership Global Policy Initiative (SCL-GPI)

Jason Resendez, Executive Director of the UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Center for Brain Health Equity and head of the LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s Coalition

Speaker Biographies:

Congressman Bobby L. Rush is a transcendent and influential American leader who keeps his legislative and policy interests focused on the needs of his constituents in the 1st Congressional District of Illinois, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable and the communities that feel left behind.  He believes deeply in the redemptive power of the human spirit and in human ingenuity and tenacity.  In office since 1993, Rush stands on the shoulders of a long line of patriots and public servants who have gone before him and who are ardent believers in our Constitution.  His life is an example of our nation’s fundamental promise and his work reflects a deep determination to bend the arc of government resources and innovation towards the needs of every American — whether they live on our nation’s main streets or its side streets.  Rush fights every day for his constituents; to improve their lives, grow the economy, bring jobs to the district, and build a stronger middle class.

Chicago and its surrounding communities are a snapshot of the diversity that is found across America.  While large parts of Rush’s district include communities that house world-class health and educational institutions and a diverse array of businesses, there are others where youth unemployment and acts of violence are far too common.  Rush has focused on providing a public policy approach to creating jobs, tackling gun violence, and making communities safer.  Rush is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Army and an ordained minister with a Master’s Degree in Theology.  Rush has honorary doctorate degrees from the Virginia University of Lynchburg, Roosevelt University, and the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT).  In addition to his Congressional responsibilities, Rush is the pastor of the Beloved Community Christian Church of God in Christ in Chicago.  Rush listens to his constituents with a pastor’s ear and acts on their needs through hard work, empathy, and a commitment to public service. Rush was married to the late Carolyn Rush for 37 years and recently married Minister Evangelist Paulette Rush.

Amy Hinojosa is the President and CEO of MANA, A National Latina Organization, the oldest and largest Latina membership organization in the United States. She is responsible for the operations and oversees the educational programming of the national organization, as well as national advocacy efforts. MANA focuses on leadership, advocacy, and community service through educational programming for adults in the areas of financial literacy, professional development, and mentor training. The signature MANA HERMANITAS® program is the only national mentoring program specifically designed for Latina youth in the country. Amy has served in different capacities throughout the MANA organization, starting in 2007, including Director of National Programs, Vice President of Leadership Initiatives, and Executive Director. Prior to returning to MANA in 2013, she served as Executive Director of the National Association of Hispanic Publications, Inc. (NAHP), NAHP Media LLC, and the National Hispanic Press Foundation (NHPF), based in Washington, DC.

Amy has extensive experience working on local and national grassroots campaigns targeted at mobilizing voices and actions in Hispanic communities nationwide on topics ranging from healthcare, financial literacy, and retirement, mentoring, data privacy, civic engagement, and census participation to advocacy efforts on student loans, immigration reform and health care reform. Community education and engagement have been central to Amy’s work, with a particular emphasis on youth. She has experience working and volunteering with community organizations such as the Girl Scout Councils of the Nation’s Capital and South Texas, the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement, The National Hispanic Institute, Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership and Mosaica.

As a representative of MANA, Amy currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, as a Member of the Board of Directors for the Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership, and as a Member of the Diversity Council for the El Rey Network. Amy has been a Huffington Post and Medium Contributor and writes about issues impacting Latinas. Originally from Baytown, Texas, Amy is an alumna of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, and currently lives in Arlington.

Tammy Boyd is the Chief Policy Officer and Counsel of the Black Women’s Health Imperative and is an established healthcare executive with proven expertise in government relations, political compliance, and advocacy. She has extensive experience in creating and executing federal legislative policy strategy and facilitating outreach to members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.

Boyd most recently served as Managing Partner, for TKB Global Strategies, LLC / Watts Partners, where she successfully executed government affairs strategies through the engagement of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and federal agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), and Department of Veteran Affairs. Along with her past roles with DaVita, Inc., and Johnson and Johnson, Boyd also served as Legislative Director for Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) where she exercised oversight over legislative activities within the office, including tax, trade, health care (Medicare, Medicaid, and Graduate Medical Education), financial services, judiciary, and energy.

Boyd is a member of the American, National, and Mississippi Bar Associations and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Boyd has been featured in USA Today (04/17); Clarion Ledger (04/17); Huffington Post (03/17); and Essence Magazine (02/2017), during inaugural events for the Smithsonian National African American History & Culture Museum. Boyd received an M.P.H. degree from Emory University School of Public Health and a Juris Doctorate degree from American University, Washington College of Law.

Jeanette Contreras is the Director of Health Policy at the National Consumers League. Jeanette joined the National Consumers League in August 2020. Jeanette leads NCL’s health care policy program and serves as the key spokesperson and consumer advocate on safe medication use, drug affordability and accessibility, comprehensive health coverage for all, and the promotion of vaccines and other preventive health care services.

Prior to coming to NCL, Jeanette managed a national grassroots advocacy program at the American Academy of Family Physicians, and led consumer education and stakeholder engagement for the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She began her health policy career in the legislative office of the National Cancer Institute. Jeanette served as President of the Hispanic Employee Organization for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2014-2016. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the California State University, Los Angeles and a master’s degree in Public Policy from American University.

Kevin Kimble is the Founder and Executive Director of the SCL Global Policy Initiative (SCL-GPI). Mr. Kimble is a 25-year veteran of Capital Hill and has held positions as chief of staff for a senior member of congress and chief lobbyist for one of the nation’s largest financial services firms. As current DC Bureau Chief for the national chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Kevin has unparalleled access to minority communities and civic leaders around the country. He is routinely called upon and advises members of congress on policy and legislative issues and has been asked to speak to state and local government and testify at hearings.

He is a subject matter expert on economic inclusion, economic innovation, community development and policy strategy. As a seasoned economic innovator and business development strategist Mr. Kimble created the nonbank charter and has devised many other dynamic solutions to problems in the modern economy. Mr. Kimble routinely advises elected officials at the federal, state and local levels. He also advises national organizations and community groups on these policies and has been featured in numerous media outlets.

As Chief of Staff/Counsel for Congressman Charles Gonzales in Washington, DC for 10 years Mr. Kimble was required to develop, implement, and lead multiple complex projects such as the San Antonio Airport International Status adoption, the major financial reform initiative to merge the Bank Insurance Fund (BIF) and Savings Association Insurance Fund (SAIF), Glass-Steagall reform, and the Bankruptcy reform of 2005. Additionally, he served as Congressman Gonzales’ council for both Election Challenges and the Healthcare Subcommittee for Small Businesses. Mr. Kimble has previously counseled and currently sits on the advisory boards of multiple financial services start up organizations and is well positioned to act as their voice in congress and with key regulatory agencies. He has access to many of congresses trusted advisors and a network of individuals in important financial services agencies in DC and around the country. Kevin has been published in numerous magazines and newspapers and is routinely a guest on several national radio shows.

Jason Resendez is the Executive Director of the UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Center for Brain Health Equity and head of the LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s Coalition. From clinical trial inclusion to paid family leave for dementia caregivers, he champions brain health equity at every level of the healthcare system.

Jason has helped establish UsAgainstAlzheimer’s as a hub for driving brain health equity through patient-centered public health promotion strategies, equity-centered research and policy analysis. He spearheads peer-learning and direct engagement with community-based organizations, public health stakeholders, and research centers across the country to advance health equity initiatives that shape and influence national thinking and action. He has contributed to research on the socioeconomic impacts of brain health inequities and on the science of community engagement in brain research. He is currently a co-investigator of the NIH-funded FOREVER Project (Foundations of Representative Engagement, Valid & Effective Recruitment in Alzheimer’s Research) with Dr. Jonathan Jackson of Massachusetts General Hospital.

Prior to UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, Jason held senior positions at two of the nation’s leading Latino-serving organizations, UnidosUS and LULAC National Educational Service Centers, Inc. Jason is a Google Next Generation Policy Leader, an Aspen Ideas Health Fellow, and he serves on the board of the Youth Movement Against Alzheimer’s. He has been quoted by The Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, Univision and others on health equity issues. Jason is from South Texas and graduated from Georgetown University.