For Immediate Release:
September 13, 2007

Contact:
Nanci Gonder
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062

The strengths and weaknesses of the health care system in the St. Louis area will be the focus of a health summit and community forum set for September 15, 2007. The event is being sponsored by the Missouri Office of Minority Health’s Eastern Regional Alliance.

The Your Voice Counts Health Summit/Community Forum will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy, 1000 N Grand.

The purpose of the summit is to give area residents – including those who are uninsured or underinsured – an opportunity to offer input about health care services available in their communities. The summit also will collect health-related information from residents for use in data reporting and research. In addition, the event will offer information about health education, health disparities and health care access.

Dr. Gloria WilderBrathwaite, Brooklyn, N.Y., will be the keynote speaker for the event. Raised by a single mother in a poor Brooklyn neighborhood, Wilder-Braithwaite grew up much like the children she treats today as director of the Washington, D.C. Children’s Health Project, a mobile health care unit that provides pediatric care for nearly 1,700 patients every year.

In 2002, WilderBrathwaite received the “Use Your Life Award” from Oprah Winfrey’s Angel Network, which recognizes organizations and individuals that are reaching out to others to make a difference.

Governor Matt Blunt has asked Angel McCormick Franks, Director of the state’s Office of Supplier and Workforce Diversity to participate in the summit. Franks holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration/finance from Fontbonne College and a master’s of gerontology from Webster University. In addition to her position of enhancing opportunities for diverse businesses in the state, she also serves as a special assistant to the Governor’s office.

Missouri State Rep. Connie L. Johnson, a strong supporter of health advocacy, is also scheduled to speak at the summit. Representative Johnson is an adjunct professor at the Saint Louis University School of Public Health and is also an attorney at law.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 15. Lunch will be provided during the event.

The Office of Minority Health is part of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. For information or to RSVP for the summit call Gloria Brand at 800-877-3180.

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