OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma State Health Department (OSDH) will host its second annual Minority Women’s Health Forum from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23 via Zoom. The virtual forum is open to the public and free to attend.
Partners for the forum include Cherokee Nation, The Kaw Nation, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Office of Minority Health, Take Charge!, the Muskogee County Health Department and OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center.
The event will focus on minority women and their health needs, with an emphasis on health-related issues for women ages 18 to 100. Topics will include breast and cervical cancer screenings, heart health, blood pressure, diet, exercise, diabetes, COVID-19 safety and personal stories from cancer survivors.
Keynote speakers will include Dr. Chelsea McGee Booker, DO, a cardiologist for the Cardiovascular Institute of Excellence in Wagoner; Jussara Little, MPH, RDN, LDN, an oncology dietitian for the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center in Oklahoma City; and Dr. Ashley Comiford, PhD, an epidemiologist for the Cherokee Nation Community Health Promotion Program in Tahlequah.
OSDH Community Engagement Manager D'Elbie Walker and Floritta Pope, director of the OSDH Office of Minority Health & Health Equity, will emcee the event.
Oklahoma City resident – and Oklahoma’s Take Charge! program coordinator – Jennifer Gingerich, LPN, MPA, will share information about Take Charge!, Oklahoma Cares, and other health-related resources.
Cancer survivors Vernelia McKnight, from Spencer, Oklahoma, and Tahlequah resident Margie Burkhart will share personal stories about how they made it through treatment and what they might have done differently if they could.
For more information, please contact Jennifer Gingerich at jenniferYG@health.ok.gov or call (405) 426-8287. Click here to join the forum.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) protects and improves public health through its system of local health services and strategies focused on preventing disease. OSDH provides technical support and guidance to 68 county health departments in Oklahoma, as well as guidance and consultation to the two independent city-county health departments in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Learn more at Oklahoma.gov/health.
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