KEYSTONE, CO – There are many issues that plague the health of Coloradans. This year, the Colorado Health Symposium, Aug. 2 - 4, gathers experts from health care, media, academia, the nonprofit sector, performing artists, a hip-hop band, a retired police chief and leaders from across Colorado to examine a core barrier to bringing health in reach for all Coloradans - inequity. A person health’s status depends on a variety of issues that span far beyond the health care system, with a major factor being social conditions that result in health inequities. The Symposium will explore how to solve the patterns, policies and systems that create barriers for Coloradans from attaining their full health potential.
Health disparities - such as differences in health status, access to care and quality of care among groups that differ by race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical ability, place of residence, socioeconomic status or other factors - limit opportunities for vulnerable populations to live healthy lives. Given that these issues are entrenched in sectors outside of the health care system, the Colorado Health Foundation has invited a diverse group of experts to join the event, share their perspective and help lead the conversation to drive formative change. Presenters include:
- Jerome Davis, Chair of the Board, Colorado Health Foundation and Regional Vice President, Xcel Energy
- Flobots, Denver-Based Alternative Hip-Hop Band
- Darrick Hamilton, PhD Associate Professor of Economics and Urban Policy, The New School
- Sarah Jones, Playwright and Performer
- Sally Kohn, Columnist and Political Commentator
- Bobby LeFebre, Word Architect, Performer and Cultural Worker
- Eric Liu, Founder and CEO, Citizen University
- Karen McNeil-Miller President, CEO, Colorado Health Foundation
- Gregory G. Mullen, Chief of Police, Charleston, S.C. Police Department (Retired)
- Toluwanimi Obiwole, Poet, Educator and Organizer
- Kathleen Osta, Regional Director, Midwest Region, National Equity Project
- Manuel Pastor, PhD Director, Program for Environmental and Regional Equity, University of Southern California
- Hugh Vasquez, Senior Associate, National Equity Project
- Susan Taylor Batten, President and CEO, Association of Black Foundation Executives
- Jay Want, MD, Executive Director, Peterson Center on Healthcare and Former Chief Medical Officer, CIVHC
- Hugh Vasquez, Senior Associate, National Equity Project
- Alan Weil, Editor-in-Chief, Health Affairs
- Theo Wilson, Founder, Shop Talk Live
“This year, we’re taking on what is perhaps the most complex social issue of our time. Although it is not a new conversation, our hope is to surface a discussion that’s been going on for a long time – and add to it. The discourse around inequity is alive and real. But, it’s new for us, as an organization, to drive a conversation about inequity that can be heard by health leaders across Colorado,” stresses Karen McNeil Miller, president and CEO, Colorado Health Foundation.
Interested in listening to the conversations? Join us online.