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Research Conference in Winston-Salem Will Look at Ways to Reduce Health Disparities

Winston-Salem State University
Dr. Louis W. Sullivan will be the keynote speaker at WSSU's research conference on Thursday.

A research conference at Winston-Salem State University will take a closer look at the health disparities facing communities across the country. 

The conference titled “Moving from Health Disparities to Health Equity: The Search for Solutions,” will feature Dr. Louis Sullivan as the keynote speaker.

Sullivan is the former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and former president of Morehouse School of Medicine.

The conference will examine the many factors that contribute to racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities, including poverty and violence, inadequate access to care, and personal behaviors.

Guila Cooper, of Winston-Salem State University's School of Health Sciences, says participants will take away several ideas to use in their own communities.

“We hope this conference will be duplicated on the national level. I think the take away will be that these other institutions will join with us and perhaps create some sort of a consortium to address health equities and what we can we do about continuing the search for solutions,” says Cooper.

Cooper says the conference will highlight the proven models and strategies for improving health equity in the United States. Some of the topics include mental health care for immigrants, recycling programs for green living on college campus and how faith can play a role in a patient's recovery.

The research conference at Winston-Salem State University is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged. The event will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Thursday, April 18 in the Dillard Auditorium at the Anderson Conference Center on campus.

Participants may register at www.wssu.edu/shs.

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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