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The Big Conversation

Many Wounds to Heal: Health Care (In)Equity [via Zoom]

COVID-19 made health care inequities clear to everyone. In an online version of our annual Big Conversation, we will examine these inequities in Southern Maryland: the history and the why's. An expert panel will be followed by small, facilitated group discussions to share our personal experiences and suggestions for what we can do to change systemic health care inequities. Register by Sept 11.

“Many Wounds to Heal: Health Care (In)Equity- How does it affect me?”

This forum is brought to you by The Big Conversation Partners in Dismantling Racism and Privilege in Southern Maryland. It is our eighth Big Conversation. The Partners have been working for years to illuminate and eliminate systemic racism.

Agenda

2:00-3:00 p.m. – Panel Webinar via Zoom

Pre-recorded with a panel of experts addressing historical inequities in Southern Maryland healthcare, implicit bias in healthcare delivery, systemic and environmental impact on health outcomes, and lack of trust in healthcare.

Panelists include:

• Dr. Meenakshi Brewster, Public Health Officer of St. Mary’s County
• Malcolm Funn, Lawyer and life-long Southern Maryland resident
• Shellnice M. Hudson, RN, Director of Quality Assurance at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home
• Dr. Laurence Polsky, Public Health Officer of Calvert County
• Cheri C. Wilson, Johns Hopkins Medicine Center for Health Disparities Solutions

3:00-4:00 – Small Group, Break-out Sessions via Zoom

Facilitated by the members of the Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s County Mediation Centers. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on the panel presentation, to share from their own life experiences and suggest ways to address the inequity issues and bias on an individual and the systemic levels.

4:00-5:00 – Full Session Report-out, Q&A and participant exit survey

The online forum will conclude by bringing all the small groups together for each group facilitator to report out on their group’s findings and to hold a question/answer period. Finally, all participants will answer a brief exit survey.

Once you access Zoom and the Big Conversation forum the day of the program, you will automatically move between the large and small groups.

Program

A digital copy of the Big Conversation program will be emailed to you before the event. It will also be available on our website www.dismantleracism.org

Note

You will receive registration confirmation immediately. The Zoom information will be emailed to you  2 hours before the Big Conversation Forum on September 13.

Access Note

Due to Covid-19 regulations, The Big Conversation Partners must present this forum online. We are aware that this limits access for some. We attempted to create small, onsite participation following Covid safety protocols without success. Please consider including others, if comfort and social distancing allows.

Technical Requirements

• We recommend that you download and install the Zoom app (free).
• Camera and microphone on your computer or smartphone.  Because we want personal interaction during the breakout groups, participation without this capability is discouraged.
• Stable internet connection. 
• Chromebooks do not support breakout groups. While we originally advised that Chromebooks cannot go to breakout rooms, a Zoom update now allows them.
• Please mute your microphone for panel discussion and unmute for breakout session.

Technical assistance

• Prior to the event, please practice a Zoom meeting with a friend or family member so you are confident in how to use it.
• For help with this, feel free to contact Calvert Library for coaching and practice. (410-535-0291)
• During the event, call 410-535-0291 if you are having technical issues.  The library will be closed so volunteers are staffing the technical line.

Partners

This project was made possible in part by the Maryland Humanities, through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Maryland Historical Trust in the Maryland Department of Planning, and the Maryland Department of labor. Any view, finding, conclusions, or recommendations expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Maryland Humanities, Maryland Historical Trust, Maryland Department of Planning, or the Maryland Department of Labor.

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