Watch the 2020 Igniting Hope Conference now

The Igniting Hope Conference on August 15, “Mobilizing Community Resources to Achieve Health Equity During a Global Pandemic,” brought together healthcare professionals, community leaders, community members, advocates, and faculty for a day devoted to deepening our understanding of how social determinants affect health outcomes and health research in the African American community and in other underrepresented groups.

Keynote speakers included Alan J. Lesse, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Senior Associate Dean for Curriculum, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, discussing “The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Magnifying Lens for Health Disparities”; RADM Richardae Araojo, PharmD, MS, Associate Commissioner for Minority Health, Director, Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, Food and Drug Administration, discussing “The FDA Perspective: Enhancing Racial and Ethnic Minority Representation in Clinical Trials”; and Raul Vazquez, MD, FAAFP, President and CEO, G-Health Enterprises — “Covid-19, Working With the Community to Shape Better Healthcare in Light of a Pandemic.”

The conference was co-sponsored by the Buffalo Center for Health Equity, UB’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), and the UB Community Health Equity Research Institute. See the full agenda here.

View the conference in full, in two parts:

• Recording 1: Recording includes: Kelly Wofford, Director of Community Relations, Erie County Medical Center; Minister, Impacting Love Global Ministry; Founder, Front Seat Life; Timothy F. Murphy, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor; Director, UB Clinical and Translational Science Institute; Director, UB Community Health Equity Research Institute; Satish K. Tripathi, President, University at Buffalo; Rita Hubbard Robinson, JD, CEO, NeuWater & Associates, LLC; Associate Director, UB Community Health Equity Research Institute; George Nicholas, MDiv, Co-Convener, African American Health Equity Task Force; Chair, Buffalo Center for Health Equity; Alan J. Lesse, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Senior Associate Dean for Curriculum, Jacobs School; Michael Cain, MD, Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean, Jacobs School; RADM Richardae Araojo, PharmD, MS, Associate Commissioner for Minority Health, Director, Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, Food and Drug Administration; Raul Vazquez, MD, FAAFP, President and CEO, G-Health Enterprises; and Oswaldo Mestre, Jr., Director of Citizen Services, City of Buffalo. (Keynote breakout sessions featuring Drs. Lesse and Murphy are found in this recording.)
• Recording 2: Recording includes Raul Vazquez, MD, FAAFP, President and CEO, G-Health Enterprises; and Oswaldo Mestre, Jr., Director of Citizen Services, City of Buffalo; Heather Orom, PhD, Associate Professor of Community Health and Health Behavior, Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, School of Public Health and Health Professions; Kinzer M. Pointer, Pastor, Liberty Missionary Baptist Church; Co-Convener, African American Health Equity Task Force; and George Nicholas, MDiv, Co-Convener, African American Health Equity Task Force; Chair, Buffalo Center for Health Equity. (Keynote breakout session featuring Dr. Vazquez is found in this recording.)

In addition, breakout sessions are also available for viewing:

• Housing: View a recording here (password - 2usy#d%B)
  Lead Presenter: Marie Cannon, MSW, Commissioner, Erie County Department of Social Services
• Employment: View a recording here
  Lead Presenter: Doris Carbonell-Medina, ESQ, Project Director, Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative (ESPRI); Co-Presenters: Julie Barrett-O’Neill, JD, Executive Director, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Buffalo, and Stephen Tucker, MBA, President and CEO, Workforce Training Center at Northland
  
• Education — Back to School: Recording coming soon
  Lead Presenter: Keli Koran Luchey, PhD, Crisis Counselor, Sweet Home High School; Co-Presenters: Kristina C. Jackson, Student Support Coach, Buffalo Public Schools; Kristina Torres, Early Warning Indicator Facilitator, Buffalo Public Schools; and Gellenia Smallwood, Director of Parent and Family Program, Say Yes Buffalo
  
• Mental Health During the Pandemic: View a recording here
  Lead Presenter: Kelly Wofford, Director of Community Relations, Erie County Medical Center; Minister, Impacting Love Global Ministry; Founder, Front Seat Life