Advancing Health Equity with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community 
This panel session will raise awareness of how health equity is or is not experienced by people who are Deaf and hard of hearing. The session will link community level data to discussions on legal requirements for effective communication in healthcare, provider training and cultural humility, linguistically and culturally appropriate healthcare messaging, assistive technology, and mental and behavioral health needs and access. This panel will also offer strategies to address inequities in these communities.. 

American Sign Language Interpreting provided:  Carol Fay Hayley & Jamroz Baccaire
 
• Christine A. West, MA, MAISCE, CI/CT, SC:L, Ed:K-12
Health Equity Director for UnitedHealthcare Community & State Plan of Rhode Island 
 
• Kate Bowden
Senior Attorney, Disability Rights Rhode Island
 
• Mike Baer
Director, Emergency and Public Communication Access Program, RI Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

• Jim Simon
Senior Director, Youth and Family Services Division, Perspectives Corporation

 • James Litvack
RI Assistive Technology Access Partnership (ATAP)

• Tim Riker
Senior Lecturer of American Sign Language, Brown University 

Effective Data Collection and Reporting Drives Effective Policy 
This session will discuss how data is used to support large systems implementation and change. During this session we will explore:

a. Thundermist Health Center’s Health Equity Initiatives

b. Present summary outcomes from data project on intersection of chronic disease and behavioral health in Woonsocket

c. What the data show and the policies and strategies implemented to address disparities.

d. Share lessons learned from the provider’s perspective on what the quantitative and qualitative data revealed as compared to what they hear and see in practice 

• Susan Jacobsen, MA, LMHC, CCM
Senior Director of Health Equity Initiatives, Thundermist Health Center 
 
• Janette Baird, PhD
Senior Research Scientist Injury Prevention Center Rhode Island Hospital, Associate Professor (Research) Department of Emergency Medicine Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University Injury Prevention Center

• Gloria Rose, RN, BSN
Senior Director of Community Care Management, Thundermist Health Center   

Patient Demographics: How Data Informs Intradisciplinary Systems & Public Health Innovations 
Interdisciplinary team will share how  Providence Community Health Center identified gaps in patient demographic collection utilizing qualitative and quantitative data. Team will review how this data-informed multi-level collaboration, creating a sustainable system for staff support and training to ensure better patient care.

•Natasha Viveiros, RN, MPH
Director, Site Operations & Special Projects

• Jennifer Etue LICSW
Manager, Integrated Behavioral Health, Transitions of Care

• Yan Qi
Population Health Analyst, Accountable Entity

"Hello, what about me?"   Perspectives on race/ethnicity and SOGI data collection
This panel will provide perspective from community members and advocates on the current environment for which race/ethnicity and SOGI data are or are not collected in healthcare, and discuss strategies to improve and promote collection of this data.

• Steven Williamson
Planning and Program Specialist Rhode Island Department of Health

• Dr. Tommy Ender
Assistant Professor
Rhode Island College

• Abdul Saied-Calvino, MD
Surgical Oncologist
Roger Williams Medical Center
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Boston University School of Medicine

• Channavy Chhay
Executive Director
Center for Southeast Asians

For Mature Audiences Only: How to talk to your patients about Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity  
This session will focus on best practices in providing non-judgmental sexual health care for patients. We will review topic areas including LGBTQ+ terminology, correct pronoun use, gender-affirming care, HIV and STI risk. Build trust and rapport using effective communication strategies in order to support, understand and affirm sexual and gender diverse individuals.

• Wilfredo Giodano-Perez, MD, AAHIVS
Chief Medical Officer and Family Medicine Physician 
Tri-County Community Action Agency

Health Inequity and Cancer in Rhode Island  
This session will present current cancer statistics both nationally and specific to Rhode Island. We will discuss racial and ethnic disparities in access to cancer screening, detection, and treatment. It will bring together local clinical and health system experts who are leading initiatives to identify disparities, develop strategies to address these, and connect patients with screening and treatment.  

• Lynn Basilio, MS
Senior Director State Partnerships
American Cancer Society

•  Andrew Saal, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer
Providence Community Health Centers 

• Rochelle Strenger, MD
Clinical Director of Women’s Medical Oncology of The Miriam Hospital, Lifespan Cancer Institute

Lessons Learned from the Care + Community + Equity Initiative  RIDOH's Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke Program (RIDHDS) supports clinical quality improvements for chronic disease through the Care+Community+Equity (CCE) initiative. The objective of CCE is to improve population health outcomes and quality of care for people with diabetes, prediabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol. This session will provide an overview of the Care+Community+Equity Initiative and share best practices and lessons learned for chronic disease management from a health systems approach. It will review data collection and reporting, and showcase quality improvement projects and outcomes.

• Jayne Daylor, RN MS
Quality Improvement Consultant Rhode Island Department of Health

• Suzanne Herzberg
Director of Transformation Brown Primary Care Transformation Initiative Kent Hospital

• Adrian Bishop
Director of e-Health and Organizational Development Advocates for Human Potential

• Casey Sardo
Tri-County Community Action Agency

• Corey Goffinet
Tri-County Community Action Agency