Birth Equity for All Women (GEOS)

DESCRIPTION

Birth equity is the assurance of an optimal level of maternal care for all women, regardless of race, creed, or socio-economic status. We will look at why there are disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality among women of color, women who have low-income households, and women in rural areas. Our guest speakers will highlight what actions are being taken now to advance SDG 3 (Health and Wellness) by creating standardized levels of maternal care for all women.

Speakers include

Dr. Gillian Sealy
I have the power to live my life on my own terms.

Gillian Sealy is the Interim Chief of Staff at Power to Decide. Gillian previously served as the CEO of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative. Gillian has deep experience in leading policy and systems work in a variety of settings, including schools and communities, as well as expertise in the social determinants of health. She has worked at the local, regional and national levels, and has built scaling and sustainability strategies for all of these settings. Prior to joining the CHMI, Gillian was the National Sustainability Advisor and a Regional Director at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation) where she spent six years working on childhood obesity prevention. She has also worked with the Pan American Health Organization in the area of HIV/AIDS, gender violence and school health. Gillian holds a PhD in Health Science from Nova Southeastern University and a masters in public health from the University of South Florida.

Joia Adele Crear-Perry, MD, FACOG
Dr. Crear-Perry – a thought leader around racism as a root cause of health inequities, Speaker, Trainer, Advocate, Policy Expert, and fighter for justice – is the Founder and President of the National Birth Equity Collaborative. Recently, she addressed the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to urge a human rights framework to improve maternal mortality. She has been celebrated for her work to improve the availability and utilization of affordable health care for New Orleans’ citizens post the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005. She is most known for her work to remove Race as a risk factor for illness like premature birth and replacing it with Racism. After receiving her bachelor’s training at Princeton University and Xavier University, Dr. Crear-Perry completed her medical degree at Louisiana State University and her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tulane University’s School of Medicine. Learn more