2021 Webinar Series Speakers


 
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Cedric Bright, MD

Dr. Cedric Bright is the Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence and the Director of Office of Special Programs for UNC School of Medicine. He is also the Associate Dean for Admissions at East Carolina University. Dr. Bright served as the 112th President of the National Medical Association from 2011-2012, is a member of the NC Institute of Medicine, is a graduate of Brown University and UNC School of Medicine.

Dr. Bright is a panelist in the discussion Do Black Lives Matter in Healthcare? which will take place on September 18, 2020 at Noon.

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Ronny A. Bell, PhD

Dr. Ronny A. Bell is Professor and Chair for the Department of Public Health at East Carolina University. Dr. Bell chairs the North Carolina Diabetes Advisory Council and the North Carolina American Indian health Board. Nationally, he serves on the American Diabetes Association Health Disparities Committee and the Southern Health Equity Council of the United States Department of Health and Human Services National Partnership for Action. He is also the Past Co-Chair of the Native Research network.

Dr. Bell is a panelist in the discussion Do Black Lives Matter in Healthcare? which will take place on September 18, 2020 at Noon.

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Cornell P. Wright, MPA

Cornell P. Wright serves as the Executive Director of the DHHS Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities. He is a subject-matter expert around the areas of health equity and disparities, minority health, and community engagement. He has received awards and recognition for his contributions to health from the National Institutes of Health, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, North Carolina Central University, and the National Minority Quality Forum.

Mr. Wright is a panelist in the discussion Do Black Lives Matter in Healthcare? which will take place on September 18, 2020 at Noon.

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Jacquelyn Hallum, MBA, MHA

Jacquelyn Hallum is the Director of Health Careers and Diversity Education at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). She is a native of Asheville and has been working in the healthcare industry for more than thirty years with special interest in health parity, culturally appropriate care, and workforce equity and inclusion. She is an experienced presenter in diversity and inclusion education. She was recently appointed to Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College Board of Trustees and the Buncombe County Health and Human Services Board.

Ms. Hallum is a panelist in the discussion Healthcare Reparations in a Public Crisis which will take place on October 2, 2020 at Noon.

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Darin Waters, Ph.D

Dr. Darin J. Waters is an Associate Professor of History and Executive Director of the Office for Community Engagement at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. As a member of the Department of History, Dr. Waters teaches courses in the history of race relations in both the United States and Latin America. Dr. Waters is also serving as a member of a special commission for the North Carolina Supreme Court. In the spring of 2020, Dr. Waters was named a William C. Friday Human Relations Fellowship Faculty Fellow for the 2020-2022 Fellowship cohort.

Dr. Waters is a panelist in the discussion Healthcare Reparations in a Public Crisis which will take place on October 2, 2020 at Noon.

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Sharon K. West, RN, BSN, Ph.D

Sharon Kelly West is a registered nurse, international speaker and published author focusing on healthcare disparities and culturally appropriate approaches to medical care inclusive of the topic of cultural humility. She has been the keynote speaker within faith communities addressing various health topics. She is currently Nurse Manager of Women Veteran Services at the Veterans Administration Medical Center Asheville, and a freelance columnist for the Asheville Citizen Times on various health topics. Dr. West serves on the NC Commission of Public Health in the registered nurse seat as well as the North Carolina Minority Health Advisory Council.

Dr. West is a panelist in the discussion Healthcare Reparations in a Public Crisis which will take place on October 2, 2020 at Noon.

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Victor Armstrong

Victor Armstrong joined North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, Substance Abuse Services in March of 2020, with responsibility and oversight of the public community-based mental health, intellectual and other developmental disabilities, substance use, and traumatic brain injury system in North Carolina. Victor currently serves on the board of directors of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) NC. He is also former board chair of NAMI NC, and a member of American Association of Suicidology (AAS), and NASW-NC.

Victor is a panelist in the discussion Before You Kill Yourself: Mental Health and the Black Patient which will take place on November 13, 2020.

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C. Jason Branch, Ph.D.

Dr. Jason Branch is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) for the States of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Alabama and Georgia. Dr. Branch has more than fifteen years of experience in the mental health and counseling profession. He has worked in community agency and mental health centers, city government, and substance abuse treatment facilities. Dr. Branch has maintained a clinical private practice since 2010 that focuses on adults, adolescents, couples and families. Dr. Branch currently engages in professional and scholarly work focused on African American male experiences, mentoring, multicultural issues, and increasing the practice of self-care for helping professionals.

Dr. Branch is a panelist in the discussion Before You Kill Yourself: Mental Health and the Black Patient which will take place on November 13, 2020.

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Tyrice McCoy, MA

Tyrice McCoy, MA is a Relationship Therapist in Philadelphia, PA where she works with individuals, couples, families, and groups in her private practice, Generate Abundance, LLC. Tyrice helps her clients to have the abundant lives and relationships that they were created to have. With her varied background in civil engineering, construction management, and her life of creativity and ministry, Tyrice is a major proponent of walking your purpose path, wherever it may lead, and that nothing along the journey is lost.

Tyrice is a panelist in the discussion Before You Kill Yourself: Mental Health and the Black Patient which will take place on November 13, 2020.

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Dr. Alaysia Black Hackett

Dr. Alaysia Black Hacket, affectionately called “Dr. Lacy”, attributes her foundation in ministry to her strong family values and the training she received as a PK (pastor’s kid). She is the 6th of 7 children born to Dr. Roscoe and Lady Bessie Black. She attended Western Carolina University where she earned a Bachelors of Science in Sociology with a concentration in Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Relations. She received her Masters Certification of Healthcare Administration from East Carolina University, and she earned her E. Juris Doctor degree from the Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

Dr. Lacy is presently under the spiritual covering and training of the prolific ambassador, Dr. Cindy Trimm-Tomlinson, where she is mentored, coached, cultivated, and continues to be spiritually nurtured. She is currently serving as Senior Pastor at The Leviticus Church in Richmond, Virginia. She also assists her husband, Pastor Joseph Hackett, in leading and covering the Leviticus International Network (LINK), a fellowship of churches and businesses in the United States, Kenya, and Uganda.

Dr. Lacy is a panelist in the discussion The Role of the Black Church in Healthcare which will take place on December 4, 2020 at Noon.

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Reverend Dr. Nathan Scovens

Reverend Dr. Nathan Scovens, Sr. is the Pastor and Teacher of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Winston Salem, NC. Dr. Scovens has been serving in this role since 2007. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from Elizabeth City State University and a Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Divinity from Jacksonville Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, FL. He is a strong advocate for missions and reaching “beyond the walls” of Galilee. Under his leadership, Galilee has participated in mission and outreach initiatives throughout the United States, within Winston-Salem community, Guyana, Liberia, Sudan and South Africa. He currently serves as Chaplain for the Winston-Salem Police Department, on the Board of Directors for Family Services, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Department Residential Health and Wellness Council, General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, Ecclesiastical Advisory Council for Triad Pastors Network for Wake Forest Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity, and as a Greensboro Housing Authority Hearing Officer.

Reverend Dr. Scovens is a panelist in the discussion The Role of the Church and the Black Patient which will take place on December 4, 2020 at Noon.

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Bishop A. Kayce Lewis

Bishop A. Kayce Lewis is the Senior Pastor of River of Life International, Asheville, North Carolina. She was ordained Elder at Faith Worship Center International where she also served as Chief Administrative Officer and Endowed with Power Ministerial Fellowship under the grace and leadership of the late Dr. Ann L. Hardman.

Bishop Kayce is the owner of KCL Consulting, LLC, Kustom Printing Services and Kustom Too where she services the needs for both corporate community as well as the Christian community. She received her Doctorate of Philosophy in Christian Counseling from Kingdom Truth University, Jacksonville, Florida.

Pastor Lewis is a panelist in the discussion The Role of the Church and the Black Patient which will take place on December 4, 2020 at Noon.


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William “Bill” Gist, MD

Dr. Bill Gist was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. He attended the University of Illinois in Champaign and received a BS in Computer Engineering. He then worked for Procter and Gamble as a Computer Engineer in Process Control where he lead the support for all 14 North American Tide Towers and worked on batching systems for Crest, Duncan Hines, Era, Jif and Crisco Oil. While at Procter and Gamble, he fulfilled his premed requirements in Biology and Organic Chemistry and obtained his MD from the University of Cincinnati.

After residency in OB/GYN at North Oakland Medical Center, he was in private practice in Indiana, Tennessee and Georgia with his wife, a Certified Nurse Midwife. In 2012, he joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, and became the Program Director in 2013.

Dr. Gist joined Mountain Area Healthcare Education Center (MAHEC) in June of 2019 as Program Director of the OB/GYN Department.

Dr. Gist is a panelist in the discussion on Black Women’s Health which will take place on January 14, 2021 at Noon.

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Donya Wallace, NCC, LPC, LPCS, Ph.D

Dr. Donya D. Wallace is a graduate of the counselor education program at the University of South Carolina, holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, a Master’s Degree in counseling from Webster University, and a B.S. in experimental psychology from the University of South Carolina. She is licensed as a professional counselor, a professional counselor supervisor and a national certified counselor. In 2018 she received recognition for her work with underserved communities by being named a 2018-19 National Board for Counselor Certification (BNCC) Minority Fellow and in 2018 as a Southern Association for Counselor Educators and Supervisors (SACES) Emerging Leader.

Dr. Wallace’s scholarly areas of interest include wellness among African American women, the Strong Black Woman archetype and mental health disparities in the African American community. She has presented her work on effective treatment of African American women and families, implicit bias in healthcare and the strong Black woman archetype in state, regional and national conferences. Her most recent work Culturally Adapted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the Treatment of Panic Episodes and Depression in an African American Woman: A Clinical Case Illustration (in press) demonstrates the efficacy of cultural adaptations to an evidenced based treatment to dismantle cognitive distortions associated with panic and depression in African American women.

Dr. Wallace is a panelist in the discussion on Black Women’s Health which will take place on January 15, 2021 at Noon.

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Wanda Irving, MPA

Wanda Irving, recently retired after serving 20 years as the Managing Partner of Irving Associates, where she provided technical, consulting and coaching services to various nonprofits in the areas of leadership, organizational development and project management. Early in her career, Ms. Irving developed a passion for and a track record in leading community betterment and social change initiatives. For nearly three decades, she worked in various leadership positions in the federal government, city government, faith-based organizations and the non-profit arena.

In January 2017, Ms. Irving’s daughter, Shalon Irving, PhD, MS, CHES died from childbirth related complication, three weeks after giving birth to her daughter. Devastated by her daughters untimely and completely preventable death Ms. Irving founded Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project, in an effort to keep her daughter’s legacy alive. Ms. Irving has become a staunch advocate for eradicating maternal mortality among Black women, while raising her now three-year old granddaughter.

Ms. Irving is a panelist in the discussion on Black Women’s Health which will take place on January 15, 2021 at Noon.


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Frederick DeShon Murphy, LCMHC

Frederick DeShon Murphy resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a graduate of Tennessee State and Bethune Cookman University. He is a psychotherapist at Atrium Health and an Employee Assistant Program therapist with the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Amazon and 1-800-Contacts. In addition, Frederick is the founder of History Before Us, LLC, a project centered on capturing, preserving and advocating influential history. his first film, the award-winning The American South as We Know It, explores the lives of survivors of Jim Crow - the courageous individuals who didn’t make the headlines. His second documentary, The Other Side of the Coin: Race, Generations and Reconciliation, was released on September 2, 2020. A collection of experiences and thoughts addressing the complexities of race in America, the film asks, “How do we reconcile for the sake of future generations and humanity?” Mr. Murphy finds joy in helping people achieve and retain an optimum level of functioning by focusing on their holistic health. He also has a master’s degree in Transformative Leadership and serves on the Board of Directors of the James K. Polk historic site in Pineville, North Carolina and the Slave Dwelling Project in Ladson, South Carolina.

Frederick is a panelist in the discussion on The Effects of Historical Trauma in the Black Patient which will take place on February 12, 2021 at Noon.

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Kimberly M. Knight, MSW, LCSWA

Kimberly Knight resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is a graduate of North Carolina Central University with a Master of Social Work degree, obtained her Clinical Social Worker-Associate licensure (LCSW-A), and is a 2020 Honoree for the NCCU 40 Under 40 Award. She is the Co-Founder of HIV Cure Research Day proclaimed by NC Governor Roy Cooper, contributing writer for Sheen Magazine, and Editor of The Lux Blog NC. She identifies as a Black Indian woman whose father is of Eastern Band Cherokee and West African (Ivory Coast) decent, and her mother is of African-American, Haliwa-Saponi, and Tuscarora lineage. During her undergraduate years, she was an active member of Sigma Omicron Epsilon Sorority, Inc., a Native American women’s sorority, where she became the first Black Indian Co-President of the Alpha Chapter, and an active member of the East Carolina Native American Organization (ECNAO) at East Carolina University in 2004. Currently, she is an active member of the Western Wake Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., active member of the Triangle Native American Society, National Association of Social Workers-NC Membership Committee, and the Junior Leage of Raleigh. She is the Committee Chair of the Advisory Council for the first Black Indians NC Powowow for the State of North Carolina which will take place in September 2021.

Kimberly is a panelist in the discussion on The Effects of Historical Trauma in the Black Patient which will take place on February 12, 2021 at Noon.

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Felicia Hipp, MSN, RN, CNE

Felicia Hipp, MSN, RN, CNE is the Chief of Clinical Operations and Director of Nursing at MAHEC. She also serves as a mentor and healthcare strategic advisor for Engage2Uplift where she partners with healthcare organizations on workforce development planning and implementation as well as establishing mentoring and coaching programs. She has over twenty years’ experience working in clinical leadership and caring for others. In her career, Felicia has spent time as an RN in the hospital setting, worked in Public Health, and helped found and served as Vice President for a worksite wellness program. These experiences have afforded her the opportunity to be well equipped in fostering strong collaborative relationships with patients and colleagues.

Felicia earned her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and her Masters in Nursing Administration with a Certificate in Nursing Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has a degree in Dietetics and is currently working to complete her Doctorate in Nursing Leadership.

Felicia is a panelist in the discussion on The Effects of Historical Trauma in the Black Patient which will take place on February 12, 2021 at Noon.


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Chanda Macias, Ph.D, MBA

Dr. Chanda Macias is the CEO and the owner of National Holistic Healing Center (NHHC), the leading medical marijuana dispensary in Washington, DC. Dr. Macias has spent over 15 years developing knowledge of medical marijuana impact on patients. She educations women and minority entrepreneurs and patients through her outreach platform as the Chairwoman of the Board of Managers and acting CEO for Women Grow, a national educational outreach program impacting over 50,000+ people and patients.

Dr. Macias is a proud member of Americans for Safe Access, promoting safe and legal access to medical marijuana for research purposes. In her local market, she serves as the Treasure and Secretary of DC Medical Cannabis Trade Association that proactively engages in legislation, regulations, and compliance with the Department of Health. She also serves on the Advisory Board of Southern University, a state-funded university, which was granted a license to cultivate medical cannabis in Louisiana.

Dr. Macias is a panelist in the discussion on Lifestyle Medicine for the Black Patient, which will take place on March 12, 2021 at Noon.

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Andrea Sullivan, MD

Dr. Andrea Sullivan is a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. She received her NC (Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine) degree from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington in 1986. After graduating from that program, she took advanced courses in Homeopathic Medicine in the United States, India and Europe. She continues to study with Homeopathic physicians from Mumbai (Bombay) India and is a diplomat with the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians. She is the current owner of Dr. Sullivan Center for National Healing, a private practice in Washington, DC.

Dr. Sullivan is a founding member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and served as President of the D.C. Association of Naturopathic Physicians for eight years. In 2007, she was appointed by the mayor of the nation’s capital to serve as chairperson of the Naturopathic Medical Board for the District of Columbia, after having served on the Board of Medicine for five years.

Dr. Sullivan is a panelist in the discussion on Lifestyle Medicine for the Black Patient, which will take place on March 12, 2021 at Noon.

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Lourdes Lorenz-Miller, RN, MSN, AHN-BC, NEA-BC

Lourdes Lorenz-Miller is a proven leader with experience in the strategic visioning and integration of the Healing Integrative Health Care Model and inspired a team of holistic practitioners to provide and serve patients and staff with holistic interventions and compassionate care. Overall, her motivation is to produce positive impact on health creation for communities. She has demonstrated leadership skills as a VP of Wellness at Heartland Health, administrator for a large cardiology practice, nationally recognized leadership in integrative health programs, critical care services, and regional programs to improve population health. She is passionate about creating a healing environment for patients and family members.

Lourdes is a well-known national speaker who promotes Holistic Nursing, Wellness, Integrative Health, stress resiliency, leadership training, self-care, and evidence-based complementary modalities for managing pain.. She is currently the Project ECHO Manager for the Department of Continuing Professional Development at MAHEC.

Lourdes is a panelist in the discussion on Lifestyle Medicine for the Black Patient, which will take place on March 12, 2021 at Noon.


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Shuchin Shukla, MD, MPH

Shuchin Shukla, MD, MPH was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He completed medical school and public health school at Tulane University and completed a residency in family medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. He worked in the South Bronx for five years following residency, providing primary care for adults and children, as well as for adults living with HIV. He also served as medical director for Montefiore Project INSPIRE, a primary care based Hepatitis C treatment program. He then moved with his family to Asheville, North Carolina, where he had been a physician at Western North Carolina Community Health Services until joining MAHEC as faculty physician and opioid crisis educator.

He is an associate clinical professor of medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at the School of Medicine, University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine, Board-Certified in Addiction Medicine. His interests include HIV, Hepatitis C, transgender health, substance use disorders, marginalized populations, and population health.

Dr. Shukla is a panelist in the discussion on Lockdown: Pipeline to Prison and Disease, which will take place on April 16, 2021 at Noon

Dominique Goodmond

Dominique Goodmond is a graduate of North Carolina A&T University. She held a vision to utilize her creative love for English and become a professor at a Historically Black University or College (HBCU). That vision did not hold sight of a wrongful conviction that led her to five years of incarceration. Her original dream didn’t understand her persistence in understanding continued injustice in America as she became a certified paralegal while incarcerated, nor did it grasp the power in her voice as she stood tall on a TedTalk stage unveiling the lack of understanding of those behind prison walls.

Dominique was released and returned to NC in 2019 to unveil her truth on a successful podcast, A Correctional View. She utilized her experience to apply attention towards politicians becoming a fellow with Advance Carolina’s Criminal Justice division. Quickly, she learned skills that led her to found Correctional Views and Correcting Views through Actions. These nonprofit organizations address proactive methods in which both children and adults can avoid becoming another victim to America’s unjust system.

Dominique is a panelist in the discussion on Lockdown: Pipeline to Prison and Disease, which will take place on April 16, 2021 at Noon.

Belinda Gillespie, NCPSS

Belinda Gillespie is a NC Certified Peer Support Specialist in the Department of Psychiatry at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). She also works with the Community Resource Center helping to connect people of the community to resources during the current COVID-19 pandemic. While carrying out the critical, she is also attending Asheville Buncombe Community College in pursuit of Human Services & Substance Abuse Studies Certification, Catawba Valley Community College for Community Health Worker and Wake Technical Community College for Associates in Human Services and Business Administration.

She is a mother, daughter, sister, and aunt that has had lived experience in the struggles and curve balls that life has thrown her way and strives for success and advocating for opportunities currently for herself and others through equity as well as equality.

Dominique is a panelist in the discussion on Lockdown: Pipeline to Prison and Disease, which will take place on April 16, 2021 at Noon.


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Harold Campbell, MD, MPH

Dr. Harold Campbell is originally from the town of Jonesboro, Louisiana. He is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelors in French Language and Literature. He then completed a Master of Public Health degree at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine before going on to receive his Medical Degree from Louisiana State University in New Orleans.

Dr. Campbell did an internship at Louisiana State University and then came to Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) to complete his General Surgery Residency.

Dr. Campbell is a panelist in the discussion on Recruitment and Retention of Black Healthcare Providers, which will take place on May 14, 2021 at Noon

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LaTonya Summers, PhD, LPCS

Dr. LaTonya Summers is an award-winning assistant professor of clinical mental health counseling at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida. There, she brings 24 years of clinical mental health and addictions counseling experience, and conducts research on multicultural issues in counseling and supervision. Her work is featured in scholarly journals and at international and national professional conferences. She is the author of Multicultural Counseling: Responding with Cultural Humility, Empathy, and Advocacy, a textbook that will be released in 2022.

Dr. Summers founded the national annual Black Mental Health Symposium, a conference aimed to equip mental health professionals with culturally-specific skills to improve mental wellness in Black communities. She serves as the President of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development and has been featured in O Magazine.

Dr. Summers is a panelist in the discussion on Recruitment and Retention of Black Healthcare Providers, which will take place on May 14, 2021 at Noon

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Marc Duverseau, MD

Dr. Marc Oliver Duverseau was born and raised in Port Au Prince, Haiti. He moved to the United States at the age of 18 to attend college at the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida. After graduating from there he obtained his Medical Degree from Ross University in the Caribbean. He did a preliminary internship in General Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota prior to attending residency at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville, North Carolina.

Dr. Duverseau is a 5th Year General Surgery Resident at MAHEC and has accepted a position in Wichita, Kansas post residency.

Dr. Duverseau is a panelist in the discussion on Recruitment and Retention of Black Healthcare Providers, which will take place on May 14, 2021 at Noon.


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Jan Pattanayak, MD, FACC

Dr. Jan Pattanayak is an Interventional Cardiologist at Asheville Cardiology Associates, a division of the North Carolina division of HCA. He obtained his undergraduate education from New Jersey University of Medicine and Dentistry. He completed his Residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and completed his Fellowship at Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center.

Dr. Pattanayak is a panelist in the discussion on Cardiac Care for the Black Patient which will take place on Friday, June 11, 2021 at Noon.

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Robin Smith, RDCS, RCCS, FASE

Robin Smith is the CEO and Owner of Cardiovascular Concepts in Summerville, South Carolina. Cardiovascular Concepts is an Echo-Simplified Study group for Echocardiology Sonographers.

Robin is a panelist in the discussion on Cardiac Care for the Black Patient which will take place on Friday, June 11, 2021 at Noon.

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Alfred Gorman, MD, FACC

Dr. Alfred Gorman is originally from the state of Texas. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia State University. He graduated with his Medical Degree from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Fort Gordon, Georgia. He is Board Certified in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Dr. Gorman is currently the CEO and President of the Apex Heart Health Center . He is a Cardiology Consultant for the JC Lewis Healthcare System in Savannah, Georgia. He is also a Staff Cardiologist for the Veterans Administration Health Center in Savannah, Georgia, and the Vice President of the South Atlantic Medical Association.

Dr. Gorman is a panelist in the discussion on Cardiac Care for the Black Patient which will take place on Friday, June 11, 2021 at Noon.


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Quinton Cancel, MD

Dr. Quinton Cancel is a Urological Surgeon at Mission Urology in Asheville, North Carolina. He received his Medical Degree and completed his Residency at Duke University School of Medicine. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Urology.

Dr. Cancel is a Board-Certified Urologist who practices general urology with an emphasis on prostate cancer and men’s sexual health and wellness. He has extensive experience in the latest minimally invasive robotic surgical procedures, including robotic prostectomies, partial nephrectomies and pyeloplasties.  Dr. Cancel’s philosophy is to serve each patient with compassion, treating them as if they were a member of his own family.  In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and their two sons, as well as giving back to the community in which he lives.

Dr. Cancel is a panelist in the discussion on Black Men’s Health which will take place on Friday, July 16, 2021 at Noon.

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Harold “Woody” Neighbors, PhD

Dr. Harold “Woody” Neighbors recently transitioned from the University of Michigan (UM) to the Michigan State University (MSU) College of Human Medicine to become the second C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health. Dr. Neighbors has over 30 years of experience investigating the mental health of Black Americans. He was a graduate research assistant on the ground-breaking National Survey of Black Americans and co-investigator on the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). In 2010, Dr. Neighbors and his colleagues conducted a large qualitative study titled Man Up Man Down. Findings from the first Man Up Man Down study confirmed that Black men are almost uniformly raised to think that they should “man up” whenever faced with stressful situations.

Dr. Neighbors has dedicated the bulk of his academic career to mentoring future generations of research scientists from diverse backgrounds and to helping them to conduct research on racial and ethnic health disparities. In 1988, he founded the University of Michigan School of Public Health’s first diversity research program, the “Paul B. Cornely Postdoctoral Program for Minority Scholars.” Dr. Neighbors is the 2004 recipient of the RWJ Investigator Award in Health Policy Research where he explored policy solutions for reducing racial disparities in help-seeking and illness behavior.

Dr. Neighbors is a panelist in the discussion on Black Men’s Health which will take place on Friday, July 16, 2021 at Noon.

Vincent Sevier, MD

Dr. Vincent Sevier was named Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Methodist Hospitals in July 2020. He joined Methodist Hospitals in May of 2016 as Vice President and Chief Quality Officer. Prior to joining Methodist, he served as Vice Chief and Associate Medical Director at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois, where he was charged with improving patient experience and quality of care in the Emergency Department. In addition, he has served as Chief and Medical Director at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Illinois, where he devoped and implemented a variety of initiatives to improve process flow, patient experience, clinical quality and operational efficiency. Dr. Sevier is an experienced physician and practices Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Sevier holds a BA from Washington University in St. Louis, and MD from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and an MBA from the University of Tennessee. He is Board-Certified in Emergency Medicine, a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, a Certified Physician Executive with the American Association of Emergency Physician Leadership, and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Dr. Sevier is a panelist in the discussion on Black Men’s Health which will take place on Friday, July 16, 2021 at Noon.