Town hall to explore health disparities

A Massachusetts virtual town hall this week will explore systemic racial and social inequities that create heath disparities, highlighting the power of student-led communities to effect change.

“Working with the NAACP, we’ve kicked off a series of virtual town hall meetings that are being hosted at colleges and universities around the country to serve as education and outreach to the next generation of changemakers,” said Jay Feinberg, CEO and founder of Gift of Life Marrow Registry. “Each of these events are customized to address national health challenges and issues of particular interest to the regions, student bodies and communities.”

The free hourlong event, “Education In Action: Addressing Healthcare Disparities in Our Communities,” will be held Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. and will feature UMass Boston NAACP Chapter President Kamiya M.N. Parkin in conversation with Dr. Katherine Dallow, vice president of clinical programs and Strategy at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Dr. Ken Duckworth, chief medical officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Dr. Joseph Antin, chair of hematology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

“We are excited to partner with Gift of Life in this program to engage our members and student leaders around the country about the importance of giving back and using their voice for change,” said Kyra Mitchell, chairman, National Youth Work Committee, NAACP. “We know that youth-led efforts can serve as a powerful catalyst toward building and sustaining healthy, safe and equitable communities.”

Gift of Life Marrow Registry is dedicated to saving lives by facilitating bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood-related diseases. The organization has long focused on disparities in bone marrow and blood stem cell registries, noting there are more than 38 million registered donors from 55 countries in the registries, but 75% of Black people and 55% of Latinos cannot find a lifesaving match.

“As an organization founded to solve one health inequity, lack of diversity in the worldwide registry, Gift of Life is taking action to address the larger issue that the pandemic has further exposed,” Feinberg said. “Disparities in healthcare outcomes extend far beyond our mission to find a cure for those suffering from nearly 100 diseases, including blood cancer, immune disorders and sickle cell, yet intertwine with our goals at the same time.”

The town hall is supported with the help of partners including the NAACP, Fidelity Investments, Morgan Stanley, McKesson Foundation, Rubius Therapeutics, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. It will be moderated by Angela Clark, diversity and inclusion leader of Fidelity Investments.