UK to Participate in SEC Chief Diversity Officers COVID Webinar: A Pandemic in Our Communities—Health Disparities, Health Inequities and Possible Solutions

The COVID pandemic has cast a sharply focused spotlight on the long-standing issue of health disparities and health inequities that our vulnerable populations—those of low socioeconomic status; African American; Hispanic; Native American and others have contended with for decades. Many of the known social determinants of health, such as close quartered living of multi-generational families, have served to magnify and concentrate the unfortunate lethal outcome of the COVID-19 virus in our marginalized communities throughout this country.

Vice President for Institutional Diversity, Sonja Feist-Price, along with leaders of SEC institutions on matters of equity, diversity and inclusion will host a webinar on Wednesday, June 24 at 2 p.m. to examine COVID-19 and its impact on vulnerable populations.

The webinar will have four panels composed of medical and public health experts joined by community leaders. Each will discuss the unique challenges of health disparities and health inequities residents in their communities’ face and offer examples of plans and solutions.

“I'm delighted that UK will be among the dynamic institutions involved in this very important area impacting communities of color, not only within our state, but throughout the SEC and beyond,” said Feist-Price. “This event provides an invaluable opportunity to shine a spotlight on issues of health disparities and health inequities associated with COVID-19 among communities of color, not only in the state of Kentucky but within states representing the SEC.”

An SEC Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) will introduce the panel and the panel moderator. The moderator will offer remarks and data to outline the challenges for their city and region followed by engaging the rest of the panel. Each panel’s composition will include participants, in some cases, from a number of SEC cities. This will allow the broad geographic reach of the COVID-19 pandemic to be discussed. 

Panel composition for the university includes:

• Sonja Feist-Price (introduction)
• Anita Fernander, founder and chair, Lexington-Fayette County Health Disparities Coalition, associate professor, Department of Behavior Science, College of Medicine (opening remarks and moderator)
• Senator Reginald Thomas (panelist)

During the panel discussion, questions from the chat room will be brought into the discussion and for those questions not answered, a set of answers will later be provided.

To register for the webinar, click here.