The organization’s annual convention, to be held July 29 through Aug. 2 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, is expected to draw more than 2,500 Black physicians and medical professionals. The event comes as efforts are underway to replace and repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
“We are definitely opposed to those efforts and we have been focusing all of our efforts on trying to prevent that from occurring,” said NMA President Dr. Richard Williams.
“We have contacted legislators including members of the House of Representatives and senators. We have lobbied in the halls of Congress and we have put notices out on media announcing our opposition to those bills that are intended to take health care coverage away from at least 22 million people in the United States, including a large number of African Americans.”
The NMA’s upcoming convention is regarded as the foremost forum on medical science and African-American health. The event features scientific programs and symposiums addressing far ranging topics including African-American homicides, cancer screening and research, diabetes and HIV.
The conference is being held under the theme “Empowering African American Healthcare: One Community at a Time.” Officials chose this as the theme to intensify efforts to develop a cadre of grassroots advocacy leaders poised to influence local, state and national health agendas, particularly as they impact upon African-American communities.
“This essentially refers to the need to give potency to any efforts to people in the Black community to make sure they are provided with the highest standard of health care and that includes a number of efforts, mostly which already in place through the ACA,” Williams explained. “We want to try to preserve and protect those things, rather than having them repealed and replaced.”
The convention officially gets underway with an opening and awards ceremony Saturday at 6 p.m. During the event, the organization will pay tribute to African Americans who have made outstanding achievements in health and medicine, local societies that have demonstrated leadership and several areas and future leaders. Awardees include Dr. Griffin Rodgers, Dr. Risa J. Lavizzo-Mourey, Dr. David Carlisle and Mary E. Singletary.
During the convention, the NMA will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Walk a Mile with a Child. The event will be held Saturday at 8 a.m. at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, 3500 N. Broad St. The NMA invites members of the public to walk with NMA leadership, community leaders and adults as they focus on physical, activity, wellness and education.
A news conference will be held Aug. 1 at the convention center featuring thought leaders in the medical field who will highlight timely news and trends affecting the health and wellness of the African-American community. During the news hour, Dr. Roger Mitchell and Dr. Eva Frazer will present a groundbreaking report on how violence and police use of force have become a public health crisis in the African-American community.
“The reason we are focusing on this is people need to understand that this issue of violence and the issue of force and police abuse of our people is not only a legal matter but it is especially a public health issue and people in the medical community need to understand that and get involved from the standpoint of protecting our people,” Williams said.
The news hour will also include presentations by Williams, who will address the Better Care Reconciliation Act; NMA President-Elect Doris Browne, who will speak about her plans for the upcoming year, and Dr. Edith Mitchell, who will provide oncology updates.
The NMA was founded in 1895 during the era of segregation. During that era, Black doctors were denied membership in America’s professional organizations, including the American Medical Association. The NMA was created for Black doctors and professionals who found it necessary to establish their own medical societies and hospitals.
For information about the convention visit convention.nmanet.org.
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