National

TIME:  · 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm CT; · 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET

DESCRIPTION:
In Nebraska, the majority of pediatric audiology services are concentrated in the metropolitan areas in the eastern part of the state. Because of the location and limited number of pediatric diagnostic facilities in Nebraska, families with young children often travel over four hours with a very young infant to access the necessary services. Families covered only by Medicaid cannot obtain services outside of Nebraska, and often times these families do not have the resources (safe vehicle, gas money, money for overnight lodging) to travel long distances. Central and western Nebraska have historically been underserved, which resulted in children who live in rural Nebraska being identified late as deaf or hard of hearing, and not receiving timely access to appropriate intervention services. Timing of the screening and diagnostic process for a child with permanent sensorineural hearing loss is critical. Nebraska EHDI formed a learning community to address this issue and determine how to ensure that children throughout Nebraska can all have timely access to the same quality of audiology services, regardless of where they live. Throughout the process, many barriers were encountered including finding the right partners, securing funding, and ensuring long term sustainability of the program. This poster will outline the process of establishing collaborations between state entities to provide tele-audiology services (including OAE, ABR and tympanometry) in Nebraska. The poster and accompanying presenters will discuss the partnerships needed for implementation, case studies of families impacted by delayed diagnosis and early intervention, data collected, issues to secure funding, barriers to implementation, and the outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

· Improving Access to care
· Implementing teleaudiology
· Supporting families

PRESENTERS: Hannah Ditmars, MeLissa Butler, Sara Peterson
Dr. Hannah Ditmars is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She provides clinical audiology services to individuals of all ages including infants. Dr. Ditmars teaches graduate students, both in the clinic and classroom, who are pursuing their Doctorate Degree in Audiology. She instructs the Auditory Electrophysiology course and co-teaches the Humanitarian Audiology course, which includes study abroad and provision of audiology services to individuals in Nicaragua.

MeLissa Butler has been with the Nebraska Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program since April, 2011, and serves as Community Health Educator Senior. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Technical Studies from Bellevue University. MeLissa’s training includes Evidence Based Public Health-A Course in Chronic Disease Prevention; American Sign Language; Genetics and Hearing Loss for EHDI Professionals; ASTra Family Support training; and she is a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt.

Sara Peterson is a Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing at ESU#13 in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Sara is also a Coordinator for the Central Western Nebraska Partnership for Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

WHERE:  Adobe Connect- to register click: https://usu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3rAwZ1Tohpqa1PD

Download the adobeconnect app.

• For Windows: http://www.adobe.com/go/Connectsetup
• For Mac: http://www.adobe.com/go/ConnectSetupMac

More download information is found at: https://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/connect-downloads-updates.html

NOTE:  If your institution does not permit you to add the above link, you may go to the above URL directly, however, we have been advised that optimal performance is achieved via the app.

Live captioning will be provided

This webinar will be recorded and posted online at www.infanthearing.org about a week after the webinar. There are no CEU’s offered for the webinar.

If you have questions about this webinar, please contact Mandy Jay. For technical assistance during the webinar, please contact Daniel Ladner.

Presenter: Sharon Fairbourn, MS, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVEd
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
1. Understand the role that incidental learning plays in vocabulary development as well as the role that technology plays in facilitating a child’s ability to overhear.
2. Understand how talking and reading with a child builds his/her vocabulary.
3. Learn listening and spoken language strategies to help build a child’s vocabulary.
Parents of children who are deaf/hard of hearing who are pursuing the listening and spoken language approach and professionals that serve them are invited to join us for this discussion.
This webinar will be recorded. Please see the website for access to this and other webinar recordings: http://www.heartolearn.org/communities/learning-together-archive.html
CEUs are not offered for this webinar presentation.
Presenter: Sharon Fairbourn, MS, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert-AVEd
Sharon Fairbourn is the early interventionist at Sound Beginnings at Utah State University and is nationally certified as a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist. Before coming to Sound Beginnings, Sharon worked as a speech-language pathologist and aurall habilitation specialist for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind. Sharon believes in families. She loves watching kids make connections and empowering parents with the information they need to help their child succeed.
Webinar start times (by time zone)

12:30 pm – 1:00 pm CT
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm ET

Where: Adobe Connect.
http://www.infanthearing.org/webinars/2021/improving-access-to-care-thr…

TIME:  7:30PM - 9:00PM (Eastern Time); 6:30PM - 8PM (Central Time)

Registration Deadline: May 3, 2021
Payment Deadline: May 4, 2021

Cost is $20.00 per webinar. If taking the webinar for RID CEUs, the cost is $30.00 per webinar. Each webinar is .15 RID CEUs. A certificate of participation will be issued after completion of a short quiz on the webinar topic.
Register Here: https://gallaudet.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qpbXFP1wTfG6N2skQbBEqw

DESCRIPTION:
In the Deaf community, discourse on audism is rooted in oral traditions. Various literary expressions are visually channeled via testimonials, storytelling, and poetry in sign language, as a form of resistance and a process of self-liberation from audism. Too often, those experiences are not documented, categorized, nor explored in-depth for many reasons. In this webinar, Dr. Bahan analyzes the Deaf community’s chronicles of audism as part of a collective memory. He discusses numerous literary sources readily available. Thematic themes are summarized and explored, ultimately identifying proactive solutions to alleviate the rampant audism in our society.

PRESENTER:
Dr. Benjamin Bahan

Dr. Benjamin J. Bahan, professor of Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University, is known for his works in ASL Literature, Linguistics, Deaf Cultural Studies and Sensory Orientations. Literary works include “Birds of a Different Feather”, “Bleeva” and “The Ball Story”. He co-authored and co-directed A to Z: ABC Stories in ASL and the documentary film, Audism Unveiled and co-authored The Syntax of American Sign Language: Functional Categories and Hierarchical Structure and A Journey into the Deaf-World. He is currently the director of the Gesture Literacy Knowledge Studio.

AUDISM WEBINAR SERIES
Gallaudet University's Center for Continuing and Online Education, in partnership with the Deaf Studies Digital Journal and with support from the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School, Research and Continuing and Online Education are proud to present an upcoming series of webinars on Audism in our communities. A group of world-class scholars have joined this series to discuss the impacts audism has upon Deaf people. It is important to note that the concept of audism has long been part of the Deaf community landscape, even before Dr. Tom L. Humpries coined the term in 1975. The collective discourses on the oppression experienced by Deaf people date back to the early nineteenth century, yet has not been analyzed in-depth even in today’s age.  To reaffirm society's commitment toward social equity, our educational webinars will allow a sustainable conversation on audism as a critical step toward a plural and inclusive society.

This is a series of seven live-webinars ranging from theoretical to practical that will be offered throughout the Spring 2021, and they will be delivered in American Sign Language. The format of these Zoom webinars will be 90 minutes long. They are divided into four parts: (1) Introductions: 5 minutes, (2) Main lecture: 50 minutes, (3) Q & A: 30 minutes (this will be moderated and translated into ASL from Q & A Panel in Zoom), and (4) Wrap up: 5 minutes.

TIME:  7:30PM - 9:00PM (Eastern Time); 6:30PM - 8PM (Central Time)

Registration Deadline: April 19, 2021
Payment Deadline: April 20, 2021

Cost is $20.00 per webinar. If taking the webinar for RID CEUs, the cost is $30.00 per webinar. Each webinar is .15 RID CEUs. A certificate of participation will be issued after completion of a short quiz on the webinar topic.
Register Here: https://gallaudet.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2J2I4joRQbSbqlKWnDteYA

DESCRIPTION:
Abstract coming soon.

PRESENTER:
Dr. Olivier Schetrit

Dr. Olivier Schetrit is currently a postdoctoral researcher at CEMS-CNRS / EHESS in Paris. Deaf from birth, he is a stylist and actor by training. He is part of the professional troupe, International Visual Theater (IVT), the only theater for the Deaf in Paris. He is also a pedagogue, director, and professional storyteller. After obtaining a professional license (Social Intervention, specialty teaching of sign language, Paris 8), he obtained a master's degree in social sciences. In 2016, he obtained his PhD in social anthropology and ethnology - EHESS-LAS-Collège of France-CNRS for his study, The Deaf culture filmic approach to artistic creation and identity issues of the Deaf in France and in transnational networks. He has published about IVT, Deaf identity, aesthetics such as chansignes and choresignes.

AUDISM WEBINAR SERIES
Gallaudet University's Center for Continuing and Online Education, in partnership with the Deaf Studies Digital Journal and with support from the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School, Research and Continuing and Online Education are proud to present an upcoming series of webinars on Audism in our communities. A group of world-class scholars have joined this series to discuss the impacts audism has upon Deaf people. It is important to note that the concept of audism has long been part of the Deaf community landscape, even before Dr. Tom L. Humpries coined the term in 1975. The collective discourses on the oppression experienced by Deaf people date back to the early nineteenth century, yet has not been analyzed in-depth even in today’s age.  To reaffirm society's commitment toward social equity, our educational webinars will allow a sustainable conversation on audism as a critical step toward a plural and inclusive society.

This is a series of seven live-webinars ranging from theoretical to practical that will be offered throughout the Spring 2021, and they will be delivered in American Sign Language. The format of these Zoom webinars will be 90 minutes long. They are divided into four parts: (1) Introductions: 5 minutes, (2) Main lecture: 50 minutes, (3) Q & A: 30 minutes (this will be moderated and translated into ASL from Q & A Panel in Zoom), and (4) Wrap up: 5 minutes.

TIME:  7:30PM - 9:00PM (Eastern Time); 6:30PM - 8PM (Central Time)

Registration Deadline: April 5, 2021
Payment Deadline: April 6, 2021

Cost is $20.00 per webinar. If taking the webinar for RID CEUs, the cost is $30.00 per webinar. Each webinar is .15 RID CEUs. A certificate of participation will be issued after completion of a short quiz on the webinar topic.
Register Here: https://gallaudet.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NFNJUn6FSd-zVyEeAnyOwQ

DESCRIPTION:
As a Deaf person, Gary has first-hand experiences of encountering and dealing with attitudinal barriers. With his past and current contributions and involvement to policy making, enforcement and public awareness, he gives presentations and workshops on understanding anti-discrimination, including anti-audism, anti-ableism, and anti-racism, attitudinal barriers, types of micro-aggressions, handling and dealing with obstacles in the workplace, customer services and educational settings.

PRESENTER:
Gary Malkowski, M.A., L.H.D.

Gary is a provincially and nationally recognized leader with an extensive track record of human rights, anti-discrimination, and Deaf advocacy work. He serves as advisor to a number of human rights and ombudsman organizations on issues related to anti-discrimination, anti-audism and anti-ableism, guidelines, policy, legislative and regulation developments. Gary has been awarded as one of many award recipients an honourary doctorate degree from Gallaudet University in 2011. Gary was the first Deaf person using sign language to be elected in the legislature anywhere in the world. Gary Malkowski works as Director, Sign Language Institute Canada at Deaf Culture Centre in Toronto.

AUDISM WEBINAR SERIES
Gallaudet University's Center for Continuing and Online Education, in partnership with the Deaf Studies Digital Journal and with support from the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School, Research and Continuing and Online Education are proud to present an upcoming series of webinars on Audism in our communities. A group of world-class scholars have joined this series to discuss the impacts audism has upon Deaf people. It is important to note that the concept of audism has long been part of the Deaf community landscape, even before Dr. Tom L. Humpries coined the term in 1975. The collective discourses on the oppression experienced by Deaf people date back to the early nineteenth century, yet has not been analyzed in-depth even in today’s age.  To reaffirm society's commitment toward social equity, our educational webinars will allow a sustainable conversation on audism as a critical step toward a plural and inclusive society.

This is a series of seven live-webinars ranging from theoretical to practical that will be offered throughout the Spring 2021, and they will be delivered in American Sign Language. The format of these Zoom webinars will be 90 minutes long. They are divided into four parts: (1) Introductions: 5 minutes, (2) Main lecture: 50 minutes, (3) Q & A: 30 minutes (this will be moderated and translated into ASL from Q & A Panel in Zoom), and (4) Wrap up: 5 minutes.

TIME:  7:30PM - 9:00PM (Eastern Time); 6:30PM - 8PM (Central Time)

Registration Deadline: March 22, 2021
Payment Deadline: March 23, 2021

Cost is $20.00 per webinar. If taking the webinar for RID CEUs, the cost is $30.00 per webinar. Each webinar is .15 RID CEUs. A certificate of participation will be issued after completion of a short quiz on the webinar topic.
Register Here:  https://gallaudet.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_R_7DKVCDQSmoQkbIHy_qwg

DESCRIPTION:
Education is often viewed as the “breeding ground” for values, ideologies and beliefs from society to build on or balance out the same cultivated by the student’s family. Textbooks, lesson plans, and even the teacher’s attitude contribute greatly to the indoctrination of every student in varying levels. When it comes to the Deaf child, due to specific federal laws, the breeding ground is often one of hearing-centered values and ideologies. Every type of school, from a school for the deaf to a public school where the Deaf child is the only Deaf person is potentially a place where the child constantly experiences audism. This phenomenon warrants immediate attention and consideration by activists, educators, researchers and more.

PRESENTER:
Tawny Holmes Hlibok, Esq.

Tawny Holmes Hlibok is an assistant professor for the Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University, and also is an Educational Policy Counsel for the National Association of the Deaf (NAD.) Hlibok advocates for equal access to education, legal rights, and training for families with Deaf children. She has an MA in Deaf Education from Gallaudet University and a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law focusing on Education Law and Family Law.

AUDISM WEBINAR SERIES
Gallaudet University's Center for Continuing and Online Education, in partnership with the Deaf Studies Digital Journal and with support from the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School, Research and Continuing and Online Education are proud to present an upcoming series of webinars on Audism in our communities. A group of world-class scholars have joined this series to discuss the impacts audism has upon Deaf people. It is important to note that the concept of audism has long been part of the Deaf community landscape, even before Dr. Tom L. Humpries coined the term in 1975. The collective discourses on the oppression experienced by Deaf people date back to the early nineteenth century, yet has not been analyzed in-depth even in today’s age.  To reaffirm society's commitment toward social equity, our educational webinars will allow a sustainable conversation on audism as a critical step toward a plural and inclusive society.

This is a series of seven live-webinars ranging from theoretical to practical that will be offered throughout the Spring 2021, and they will be delivered in American Sign Language. The format of these Zoom webinars will be 90 minutes long. They are divided into four parts: (1) Introductions: 5 minutes, (2) Main lecture: 50 minutes, (3) Q & A: 30 minutes (this will be moderated and translated into ASL from Q & A Panel in Zoom), and (4) Wrap up: 5 minutes.

TIME:  7:30PM - 9:00PM (Eastern Time); 6:30PM - 8PM (Central Time)

Registration Deadline:  March 15, 2021
Payment Deadline: March 16, 2021

Cost is $20.00 per webinar. If taking the webinar for RID CEUs, the cost is $30.00 per webinar. Each webinar is .15 RID CEUs. A certificate of participation will be issued after completion of a short quiz on the webinar topic.
Register Here: https://gallaudet.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C1oWpAtsQhi07lM0vsWp9w

DESCRIPTION:
Dr. Hauser is a deaf neuropsychologist who recognized that audism can have a negative impact on deaf individuals’ well-being. His research passion is to better understand how to describe and measure audism. He wants to share scholarly discussions on audism with the general public to bring awareness. He believes that if people recognize audism, it will reduce the frequency and intensity of oppression, microaggression, and discrimination deaf individuals experience. In this webinar, Dr. Hauser will share current theories and trends in research related to how stigma affects mental health and overall daily functioning. He will also discuss how audism can be measured and show his research on the prevalence of audism in hearing communities.

PRESENTER:
Dr. Peter C. Hauser

Dr. Hauser is the Assistant Dean of Research Mentorship at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Professor Hauser directs the NTID Research Center on Culture and Language (CCL) that studies deaf communities of practice, with the goal of enhancing sociocultural connectedness, with funding from National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Hauser has over 50 publications and has presented his work globally.

AUDISM WEBINAR SERIES
Gallaudet University's Center for Continuing and Online Education, in partnership with the Deaf Studies Digital Journal and with support from the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School, Research and Continuing and Online Education are proud to present an upcoming series of webinars on Audism in our communities. A group of world-class scholars have joined this series to discuss the impacts audism has upon Deaf people. It is important to note that the concept of audism has long been part of the Deaf community landscape, even before Dr. Tom L. Humpries coined the term in 1975. The collective discourses on the oppression experienced by Deaf people date back to the early nineteenth century, yet has not been analyzed in-depth even in today’s age.  To reaffirm society's commitment toward social equity, our educational webinars will allow a sustainable conversation on audism as a critical step toward a plural and inclusive society.

This is a series of seven live-webinars ranging from theoretical to practical that will be offered throughout the Spring 2021, and they will be delivered in American Sign Language. The format of these Zoom webinars will be 90 minutes long. They are divided into four parts: (1) Introductions: 5 minutes, (2) Main lecture: 50 minutes, (3) Q & A: 30 minutes (this will be moderated and translated into ASL from Q & A Panel in Zoom), and (4) Wrap up: 5 minutes.

TIME:  7:30PM - 9:00PM (Eastern Time); 6:30PM - 8PM (Central Time)

Registration Deadline: February 22, 2021
Payment Deadline: February 23, 2021

Cost is $20.00 per webinar. If taking the webinar for RID CEUs, the cost is $30.00 per webinar. Each webinar is .15 RID CEUs. A certificate of participation will be issued after completion of a short quiz on the webinar topic.
Register Here: https://gallaudet.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pnG3GDcMTCyv5jIszi2fxw

DESCRIPTION:
Laurene E. Simms, Ph.D., an African American Deaf woman describes her personal journey wherein she encountered racism, audism, other debilitating -isms, including their intersections throughout her youth and adult life. Moreover, through this webinar, she provides attendees with the theoretical aspects coupled with practical strategies to dissect, dismantle, and discard racism and audism beliefs within the Deaf community and Deaf education systems.

PRESENTER:
Dr. Laurene E. Simms

Laurene E. Simms is Interim Chief Bilingual Officer at Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C. She has been Professor in Department of Education at Gallaudet University for twenty years. Laurene has hands-on experience in the implementation of a bilingual and multicultural educational environment for diverse Deaf and Hard of Hearing learners with the ages of 0-21 and is an acknowledged expert on the topic of using ASL and English as the languages of instruction.

AUDISM WEBINAR SERIES
Gallaudet University's Center for Continuing and Online Education, in partnership with the Deaf Studies Digital Journal and with support from the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School, Research and Continuing and Online Education are proud to present an upcoming series of webinars on Audism in our communities. A group of world-class scholars have joined this series to discuss the impacts audism has upon Deaf people. It is important to note that the concept of audism has long been part of the Deaf community landscape, even before Dr. Tom L. Humpries coined the term in 1975. The collective discourses on the oppression experienced by Deaf people date back to the early nineteenth century, yet has not been analyzed in-depth even in today’s age.  To reaffirm society's commitment toward social equity, our educational webinars will allow a sustainable conversation on audism as a critical step toward a plural and inclusive society.

This is a series of seven live-webinars ranging from theoretical to practical that will be offered throughout the Spring 2021, and they will be delivered in American Sign Language. The format of these Zoom webinars will be 90 minutes long. They are divided into four parts: (1) Introductions: 5 minutes, (2) Main lecture: 50 minutes, (3) Q & A: 30 minutes (this will be moderated and translated into ASL from Q & A Panel in Zoom), and (4) Wrap up: 5 minutes.

TIME:  7:30PM - 9:00PM (Eastern Time); 6:30PM - 8PM (Central Time)

Registration Deadline: February 8th, 2021
Payment Deadline: February 9th, 2021

Cost is $20.00 per webinar. If taking the webinar for RID CEUs, the cost is $30.00 per webinar. Each webinar is .15 RID CEUs. A certificate of participation will be issued after completion of a short quiz on the webinar topic.
Register Here: https://gallaudet.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NTHJYcI1RheQhFfeZCGK2Q

DESCRIPTION:
In this introductory webinar, Drs. Gertz and Bauman provide an initial framework on the ideological, institutional and individual dimensions of audism.  After providing a brief history of the word, “audism,” from its inception in the 1970’s to current applications, presenters introduce key dimensions of ideological audism, including notions of ‘phonocentrism’ and ‘linguicism”, which are then manifested into institutional arrangements--especially in education and medicine.  These institutions, in turn, deeply affect individuals as they internalize audism, a phenomenon known as ‘dysconscious audism.’ This framework is intended to develop a common understanding of audism and to provoke interdisciplinary and intersectional inquiry and dialogue.

PRESENTERS:
Dr. Dirksen Bauman and Dr. Genie Gertz

H-Dirksen L. Bauman is Professor of Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University. He is co-editor of Signing the Body Poetic: Essays in American Sign Language and Deaf-Gain: Raising the Stakes for Human Diversity, and editor of Open Your Eyes: Deaf Studies Talking. He is the executive producer and co-director of the film, Audism Unveiled.

Genie Gertz is the interim Dean of the Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach at Gallaudet University. A 1992 Gallaudet University communication arts graduate, she holds a master’s degree in human resources management and organizational development in higher education from New York University, and a doctorate from UCLA in cultural studies within education, with a concentration on racial/ethnic studies. The phrase dysconscious audism emerged as a result of her doctoral work. She is co-editor of seminal publication of the Deaf Studies Encyclopedia which covered a wide range of issues about the Deaf community.

AUDISM WEBINAR SERIES
Gallaudet University's Center for Continuing and Online Education, in partnership with the Deaf Studies Digital Journal and with support from the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School, Research and Continuing and Online Education are proud to present an upcoming series of webinars on Audism in our communities. A group of world-class scholars have joined this series to discuss the impacts audism has upon Deaf people. It is important to note that the concept of audism has long been part of the Deaf community landscape, even before Dr. Tom L. Humpries coined the term in 1975. The collective discourses on the oppression experienced by Deaf people date back to the early nineteenth century, yet has not been analyzed in-depth even in today’s age.  To reaffirm society's commitment toward social equity, our educational webinars will allow a sustainable conversation on audism as a critical step toward a plural and inclusive society.

This is a series of seven live-webinars ranging from theoretical to practical that will be offered throughout the Spring 2021, and they will be delivered in American Sign Language. The format of these Zoom webinars will be 90 minutes long. They are divided into four parts: (1) Introductions: 5 minutes, (2) Main lecture: 50 minutes, (3) Q & A: 30 minutes (this will be moderated and translated into ASL from Q & A Panel in Zoom), and (4) Wrap up: 5 minutes.

ASL Interpreting & CART provided by Bridges

Meharry Medical College has announced a free three-part virtual Health Summit series to reimagine and advance health equity, particularly related to oral health. The first session will be held January 27, 2021, 10 a.m.-noon, with keynote conversations by Meharry President James E.K. Hildreth, Ph.D., M.D. and NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, M.D. among other national leaders.

Through open dialogue, the Summit will encourage stakeholders and health experts to develop a community-centered approach that will prioritize prevention of disease, elevate racial justice and equity and eliminate COVID-19 health care disparities among minority groups across the country. Featured speakers will discuss health integration and barriers to achieving whole-person and community-informed care that will integrate oral and systemic health.

In addition to a keynote address by Drs. Hildreth and Fauci, the Summit will include a panel, moderated by journalist Monique Pressley. Panelists include:

• Linda Keene Solomon: CEO, STEMbiotic Communities Inc. Solomon is a senior executive with 30 years of leadership, managerial, and board director experience serving the corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors.

• Jeanne Craig Sinkford, D.D.S., Ph.D., D.Sc., FACD, FICD: Senior Scholar-in-Residence Emerita American Dental Education Association and Dean Emerita, Howard University. Dr. Sinkford is a nationally and internationally renowned dental educator, administrator, researcher and clinician.

• Charles E. Moore, MD, FAACE: Founder/President, HEALing Community Center and Chief of Service, Dept. of Otolaryngology, Grady Health System. Dr. Moore has a longstanding and profound commitment to the training and development of learners from all backgrounds. His research focus has been in the investigation of factors involved in healthcare disparity with a particular focus on head and neck cancer incidence in medically underserved communities.

Among those joining this Call to Action to accelerate Health Integration, Innovation, and Racial Justice will be Henry Schein Inc., Chairman and CEO, Mr. Stanley Bergman, joined by Meharry Dental School Dean Cherae Farmer-Dixon, and revered Oral and Public Health Leader, Dr. Caswell Evans.

“These conversations have never been more important,” said Dr. Hildreth, an infectious disease expert. “COVID-19 has only illuminated the gulf of health disparities that exist between majority and minority communities across our country, particularly in rural communities. Over the last year, we have further focused our collective efforts on addressing these disparities, and this Summit will provide our community with the opportunity to engage around how best to make long lasting changes that will impact the lives of all people.”

The events of the last year, including the global pandemic and increased awareness of racial justice and health disparities, have encouraged a greater focus on systemic, structural and cultural challenges to achieving overall health equity. The Summit will build on this momentum and prior work to integrate oral and overall health to chart a path towards accessible and affordable health care.

“Effective health care includes oral health—the two cannot be disconnected,” said Dr. Cherae Farmer-Dixon, Dean of Meharry’s School of Dentistry and the Summit’s lead organizer. “At Meharry, we understand the connection between these essential aspects of health and well-being, and we are delighted to convene a national conversation examining the intersection of health outcomes, health disparities and systemic racism. We look forward to the creative solutions that are sure to come from this collaborative event.“

The Summit’s second session, “Motivating Action,” is set to take place in March 2021. This virtual event will be focused on the importance of oral health on the pathway to overall health and wellbeing. The third session, “Shaping Action for a Different Future,” is scheduled for June 2021 and will focus on a wide range of medical, dental and public health topics.

The Summit has been organized by a national committee of leaders from industry, academia, government, primary care, oral health and professional associations.

For more information about the health summit and to register, CLICK HERE. Continuing education credits are available.