Release date: March 25, 2008

Cancer Prevention in African American Communities Conference Planned

Faith, health care leaders to discuss reducing health disparities through greater awareness, support

Contact: Elaine Justice, 404-727-0643, elaine.justice@emory.edu
Contact: Kelly McLendon, 404-727-4481, kelly.mclendon@emory.edu

How to improve health care for African American communities through better cancer awareness and support in area churches is the topic of a one-day conference Saturday, April 19, hosted by Emory University's Candler School of Theology.

"Promoting Cancer Awareness, Prevention, and Support in African American Communities: Uniting the Faithful to Reduce Health Disparities" is presented by Candler's Contextual Education Office at Emory in partnership with The Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church, where it will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1879 Glenwood Avenue, SE, Atlanta, 30316.

The event will feature performances by the nationally acclaimed Shades of Pink Breast Cancer Survivors Mass Choir. Speakers include Dr. Miriam Burnett, president of Resource and Promotion of Health Alliance Inc., a health education and promotion consulting company for faith-based and community organizations that strive to help others achieve optimal health. A physician in private practice with a background in public health, Dr. Burnett is the medical director for the Coweta County Sheriff’s Department and formerly the primary care director for the Coweta County Health Department. She is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the medical director of its Connectional Health Commission.

This program, funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc., is free and open to the public. Register online at by Saturday, April 12. For more information, contact Laray Scott, Candler community conference coordinator at laray.scott@emory.edu or 678-923-3180.

Other featured speakers include:

• Dr. Stephanie Miles Richardson, who has appeared on CNN for her knowledge of toxic waste disposal. Dr. Richardson is a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service stationed at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in Atlanta.

• Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones, a family physician and epidemiologist whose work focuses on the impact of racism on the health and well-being of the nation. She is a research director on social determinants of health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Jones is a family physician and epidemiologist whose work focuses on the impacts of racism on the health and well-being of the nation.

• In addition, the program will include Dr. Nedra Hood, urologist and Emory alumna; Dr. Teresa Fry Brown, associate professor of homiletics; and Dr. Noel Erskine, associate professor of theology and ethics, both faculty members at Candler.

Emory University (www.emory.edu) is one of the nation’s leading private research universities and a member of the Association of American Universities. Known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities, Emory is ranked as one of the country's top 20 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, the state's largest and most comprehensive health care system.

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