Health Care Disparities Affecting the South Asian Community
When
Wednesday, November 2, 2016, 6:30-8:00 pm
Where
K&L Gates
1601 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Or, by webinar. Webinar details will be forwarded to registrants in advance of the event.
Cost
This event is free
RSVP
Here
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Join the Health Law Sections from both SABA-DC and SABA-North America for a panel discussion focused on health care disparities affecting the South Asian Community. Our speakers will discuss the health care issues and challenges facing our community as well as address a number of important legal implications and policy solutions that may address those challenges. Information about each of the panelists is included below.
This session will be held at K&L Gates for those in the DC-area. It will also be presented by webinar for those who are unable to attend in-person. Please register if you are interested in attending this event :in-person or via the webinar. Webinar details will be sent to all registrants in advance of the panel.
Our speakers include:
Isha Weerasinghe: Ms. Weerasinghe is the Director for Policy and Advocacy at the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO). As part of her work, Ms. Weerasinghe works with local and national partners within and outside the AAPCHO network to help ensure that the needs of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA&NHPI)-serving community health centers are a national priority. Ms. Weerasinghe is the Co-Chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans' (NCAPA) Health Committee, Vice Chair of the National Task Force on Hepatitis B: Focus on Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, advises Hep B United, a national coalition focused on reducing hepatitis B disparities on policy issues, and is a board member of the South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA). Prior to joining AAPCHO, she worked at New York University’s Center for the Study of Asian American Health (CSAAH), for a project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct community-based participatory research called B Free CEED: National Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Hepatitis B Disparities. She has also worked for The Belaku Trust, an NGO in Bangalore, India focused on women’s empowerment and health research, for Pfizer, Inc. in comparative effectiveness and outcomes research, and for the New York State Department of Health’s AIDS Institute. Ms. Weerasinghe received her Bachelor’s in Arts from Bryn Mawr College, and her Master’s in Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Razia F. Kosi: Ms. Kosi has experience in public education, organizational development, community organizing and maintains a small private practice for counseling. She is currently a Facilitator for Cultural Proficiency in the Office of Professional and Organizational Development for the Howard County Public School System. She is the co-founder of Counselors Helping (South) Asians/ Indians, Inc. (CHAI) a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing disparities in seeking and treating mental health concerns the South Asian community. She has run numerous outreach efforts, focus groups and workshops on issues related to cultural competence and working with the South Asian community. She earned her MSW from University of Maryland and a Masters Certificate in Education from Johns Hopkins University and is currently working on her Doctorate in Education from Johns Hopkins University. She has served as the Treasurer for Division on South Asian Americans (DoSAA) within the Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA) and has previously held the position of Communications Chair.
Marisa “Mimi” Spalding: Ms. Spalding is a staff attorney at the National Health Law Program (NHeLP). Based in Washington, D.C., her work focuses on the intersection of reproductive justice, Medicaid, and health disparities. Prior to joining NHeLP, she was the Director of Public Policy at Physicians for Reproductive Health, where she provided leadership to ensure that reproductive health policies and laws are evidence-based and represent underserved communities by engaging and supporting physician advocacy at both the state and federal levels. Ms. Spalding began her career as a Law Students for Reproductive Justice Fellow at the Black Women’s Health Imperative where her work focused on comprehensive reproductive health care for black women, health care reform, health disparities, and maternal and child health. Ms. Spalding received her M.P.H. in Maternal and Child Health and a J.D. from the University of Arizona. While in law school, Ms. Spalding was on the Arizona Law Review and an active member of the Black Law Students Association. She is admitted to the bar in Maryland.