Guess who is coming to town?
For the first time since 1979, the National Medical Association (NMA) has selected Detroit to hold its annual convention. The NMA is an organization comprised of thousands of African American physicians, academicians, and scientists representing every medical specialty. Each year the group convenes to participate in the scholarly exchange of medical advances and to discuss health policy priorities, and to share experience through networking opportunities. Auxiliary President, Velva S. Clark, a registered nurse whose husband is an anesthesiologist, is excited to help host the prestigious group in Detroit.
“The City of Detroit, with its beautiful landscape on the Detroit River with views of Canada, is such a perfect spot for our summer convention. The all-new Cobo Hall is a great venue for us and everyone we’ve worked with from the city has been very welcoming,” she said.
The convention will focus on numerous workshops and symposiums for the physicians themselves, with educational sessions and guest speakers in various areas of medicine. The implications of the Affordable Health Care Act and how it will affect healthcare in African American communities across the United States will be a prime topic of discussion. According to Detroit physician Lonnie Joe, M.D., who is an NMA and Auxiliary member, this discussion will be relevant because of its political ramifications.
“It’s very political,” he said. “It is the first time in the history of this country that we will have an honest conversation on healthcare. Preventive care is what we need. It’s going to change the lives of our population.”
The NMA and the Auxiliary to the NMA will host several workshops focusing on the health needs of African American children, women and men. Three of those workshops, which will be free and open to the public, will be held at Cobo Hall (one workshop) and the Detroit Marriott (two workshops). No reservations are required.
The schedule of events will be as follows:
Main Entrance at Cobo Hall, 10 am – 4 pm daily throughout conference
Free Prostate Testing. Men must present valid identification. No insurance needed. Private exam by physician includes blood work. Test results will be available to participants within 48 hours.
Tuesday, August 3: African American Women & Heart Disease. Guest Speaker, cardiologist Dr. Kimberly Taylor Clark. Testimonial from heart disease survivor Delores Dalton. Detroit Marriott – 9 a.m .
Wednesday, August 5: Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Guest Speaker, Oncologist Dr. Lisa Newman with triple negative breast cancer survivor Dr. Regina Flippin, a practicing Podiatrist. Detroit Marriott – 9 a.m.
In addition to the free public workshops there will also be a health forum for children ages 12 and up hosted by the Boys and Girls Club of Detroit. Topics will include childhood obesity, the importance of exercise, mentoring, and opportunities in the healthcare field.
One of the social highlights of the convention will be the Fashion and Jazz Scholarship luncheon held on Tuesday, August 4th at 12:30 p.m. featuring Detroit fashion designer Kenneth Daniels, whose designs have been featured on the Fox Network’s TV Hit Show “Empire”. Another important element of the Fashion and Jazz luncheon will be the awarding of four college scholarships to current HBCU students, and two nursing school scholarships to students currently enrolled. Tickets can be purchased at the NMA Convention desk at the Detroit Marriott Hotel.
Some of the celebrities expected to be in attendance include U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy along with former U.S. Surgeons General Jocelyn Elders, M.D. who served from 1993-1994, David Satcher, M.D 1998-2002, and Regina Benjamin, M.D. 2009-2013. Also expected to attend is Former Secretary of the U.S. Health & Human Services, Louis W. Sullivan, M.D.
