​Team members share VOICES and other priorities at National Medical Association annual meeting.

Several team members represented ACS at the National Medical Association Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly in New York City, NY, from Aug. 3 – 7. The annual convention is acclaimed as the nation’s foremost forum on medical science and African American health. Each year, African American physicians and other health professionals from across the country convene to participate in the scholarly exchange of medical advances, discuss health policy priorities, and to share experiences through networking opportunities. Through NMA’s 26 Scientific Specialty Sections, the Convention attracts the broadest spectrum of African American physicians, academicians and scientists in the country. 

The convention explored three core pillars essential to transforming healthcare:

1. Black Women’s Health Agenda: This pillar is about actionable change, ensuring that Black women’s health is prioritized, protected, and promoted at all levels of healthcare delivery and policymaking.
2. Digital Innovation: Advancing health equity through digital health solutions, emphasizing the importance of accessibility and transparency to ensure technology benefits all, particularly in reducing health disparities.
3. Healthcare Workforce: Supporting our healthcare professionals through initiatives on physician viability, addressing racism within the profession, and fostering a supportive environment for Black physicians and residents to preserve and increase a diverse workforce.

ACS presented information about ACS Discovery work including Extramural Discovery Science (EDS,) VOICES, cancer facts and figures reports, and the Center for Diversity in Cancer Research Training at a booth that was supported in part by team members from the Northeast Region. The following team members represented ACS at the convention: Tawana Thomas-Johnson, senior vice president, chief diversity officer, Kerri Gober, associate chief of staff, Discovery, Dr. Ellie Daniels, senior vice president, Center for Diversity Research Training, and Dr. Christina Annunziata, senior vice president, extramural discovery officer. 

Our team was excited to connect with our Principal Investigator Dr. Faye Rodgers, Yale School of Medicine, and leader and mentor in our Post-Baccalaureate (PB) Fellows Program, as well as Sharon Branch, ACS volunteer and mother of NFL Crucial Catch Ambassador Brian Branch. 

A special thank you to the following team members from the Northeast Region for assisting with the ACS booth and connecting with other organizations: Associate Directors, Cancer Center Partnerships, Michele DeDea, Ana Paisley, Barbara Messeder, and Maureen Kuhn.

The National Medical Association (NMA) is a long-standing partner and a member of the African American Stakeholder Advisory group led by the DEI team.