1. April 9-11, 2015
Kaiser Family Foundation
Barbara Jordan Conference Center
1330 G Street NW | Washington, DC
NABJ Media Institute on Health:
Health Policy and Health Equality

2. REGION III
DIRECTOR
Gayle Hurd
REGION IV
DIRECTOR
Vickie Thomas
REGION V
DIRECTOR
Mary Benton
REGION VI
DIRECTOR
Michelle
Fitzhugh-Craig
ASSOCIATE
REPRESENTATIVE
Dawn Angelique
Roberts
STUDENT
REPRESENTATIVE
Khorri Atkinson
PRESIDENT
Bob Butler
VICE PRESIDENT
BROADCAST
Dedrick Russell
VICE PRESIDENT
PRINT
Errin Whack
SECRETARY
Lee Ivory
TREASURER
Keith Reed
PARLIAMENTARIAN
Cindy George
REGION I
DIRECTOR
Sherlon Christie
REGION II
DIRECTOR
Troy Johnson
Director
Darryl R. Matthews, Sr.
Executive
Assistant
Taylor Osborne-Smith
Finance Manager
Nathaniel Chambers
Membership
Manager
Veronique Dodson
Program
Manager
Scott Berry
Program
Coordinator
Lisa Waldschmitt
Development
Director
Denise Brooking
Development
Assistant
Jenae’ Bryant
About NABJ NABJ Board of Directors
NABJ National Office
Founded by 44 men and
women on December 12, 1975,
in Washington, D.C., NABJ
is the largest organization
of journalists of color in the
nation.
The National Association of
Black Journalists (NABJ) is an
organization of journalists,
students and media-related
professionals that provides
quality programs and services
to and advocates on behalf of
black journalists worldwide.
Many of NABJ’s members also
belong to one of the dozens
of professional and student
chapters that serve black
journalists nationwide.
The NABJ Media Institute
offers quality web seminars
and hands-on professional
development, entrepreneurial
guidance, technical training
at national and regional
conferences as well as
sponsored events around the
country.
NABJ will host its next Annual
Convention and Career Fair in
Minneapolis, MN on August
5-9, 2015. Thousands of the
nation’s foremost journalists,
students, educators and media
professionals will gather
to partake in full and half-
day seminars designed to
strengthen and enhance their
skills.
National Association of Black Journalists | www.nabj.org2
The National Association of Black Journalists gratefully acknowledges the support
and participation of our corporate and non-profit partners. Without you, we would
not be able to provide services and programs to our members who help educate
and broaden the world’s understanding of critical issues. Their contributions
allow NABJ to provide quality programming to journalists, media professionals,
journalism students and educators all year long.

3. 3NABJ Media Institute on Health | April 9 - 11, 2015
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the
National Association of Black Journalists
(NABJ), it is my pleasure to welcome you to
the 2014 NABJ Media Institute on Health.
Our panelists will offer their knowledge
on local and national health issues and
provide attendees the opportunity to have
an intimate dialogue with respected leaders
known for their work in the health arena.
This two-and-a-half-day conference is the
only meeting of its kind to focus exclusively
on reporting the health disparities faced
by communities of color. Journalists are
often on the front lines of providing health
education, especially for those without
regular access to health care. The sessions will offer networking and training
opportunities for journalists by exploring the political, economic and social
dynamics that impact African-American health.
The NABJ Media Institutes continue to offer hands-on professional
development, entrepreneurial guidance and technical training at educational
events around the country.
I would like to give a special thanks to our conference chair, Cindy George, and
the NABJ National Office team for organizing such a great program. Special
thanks also goes to our generous corporate and non-profit partners and The
Kaiser Family Foundation for hosting this extraordinary conference for a sixth
consecutive year.
Thank you for joining us for what promises to be a very informative meeting. It
is our hope that you will find our program helpful and can take what you have
learned back to your newsrooms to make a positive impact on the health of
individuals in your audiences and communities.
Finally, we look forward to celebrating our 40th Annual Convention and Career
Fair with you on August 5-9, 2015 in Minneapolis, MN!
Yours in Service,
Bob Butler
President, National Association of Black Journalists

4. National Association of Black Journalists | www.nabj.org4

5. 5NABJ Media Institute on Health | April 9 - 11, 2015
Dear NABJ Members, Program
Panelists, Program Registrants and
Guests:
Welcome to the 2015 NABJ Media
Institute of Health: Healthy Policy and
Health Inequities in Washington, D.C.
It is my privilege to serve again as the
Program Chair for this professional
development opportunity.
The National Association of Black
Journalists (NABJ) is committed to
providing print, broadcast and digital
journalists with the resources to
inform and empower readers, listeners
and viewers to take action in their lives – especially pertaining to health and
wellness.
During this seventh annual conference, some of the nation’s top health
experts, policy officials and journalists will provide valuable information
about how to effectively cover the health landscape. There will be thought-
provoking sessions to help journalists and media professionals reach beyond
mere statistics to accurately and effectively report on health disparities in
communities of color.
We will conclude our 2½-day program with a Saturday morning journalists’
roundtable at the National Press Club to guide attendees through the
information they have learned, to assist in formulating story ideas and to
discuss innovative ways to present health concepts to specific audiences.
I would like to express sincere gratitude to The Kaiser Family Foundation for
hosting our conference at their wonderful facility for the sixth year in a row.
My deepest appreciation also extends to our generous corporate partners as
well as our hard-working NABJ staff members and volunteers for their special
efforts in preparing this outstanding program.
Finally, please allow me to thank each of you for your expertise and attention.
It is my hope that this experience will encourage you to stay engaged with the
issues and remain proactive to produce journalism that reveals the impact of
health policy on underserved communities.
Yours in Service,
Cindy George
Media Institute Chair & NABJ Parliamentarian
Reporter, Houston Chronicle

6. REGION III
DIRECTOR
Gayle Hurd
REGION IV
DIRECTOR
Vickie Thomas
REGION V
DIRECTOR
Mary Benton
REGION VI
DIRECTOR
Michelle
Fitzhugh-Craig
ASSOCIATE
REPRESENTATIVE
Dawn Angelique
Roberts
STUDENT
REPRESENTATIVE
Khorri Atkinson
PRESIDENT
Bob Butler
VICE PRESIDENT
BROADCAST
Dedrick Russell
VICE PRESIDENT
PRINT
Errin Whack
SECRETARY
Lee Ivory
TREASURER
Keith Reed
PARLIAMENTARIAN
Cindy George
REGION I
DIRECTOR
Sherlon Christie
REGION II
DIRECTOR
Troy Johnson
Director
Darryl R. Matthews, Sr.
Executive
Assistant
Taylor Osborne-Smith
Finance Manager
Nathaniel Chambers
Membership
Manager
Veronique Dodson
Program
Manager
Scott Berry
Program
Coordinator
Lisa Waldschmitt
Development
Director
Denise Brooking
Development
Assistant
Jenae’ Bryant
About NABJ NABJ Board of Directors
NABJ National Office
Founded by 44 men and
women on December 12, 1975,
in Washington, D.C., NABJ
is the largest organization
of journalists of color in the
nation.
The National Association of
Black Journalists (NABJ) is an
organization of journalists,
students and media-related
professionals that provides
quality programs and services
to and advocates on behalf of
black journalists worldwide.
Many of NABJ’s members also
belong to one of the dozens
of professional and student
chapters that serve black
journalists nationwide.
The NABJ Media Institute
offers quality web seminars
and hands-on professional
development, entrepreneurial
guidance, technical training
at national and regional
conferences as well as
sponsored events around the
country.
NABJ will host its next Annual
Convention and Career Fair in
Minneapolis, MN on August
5-9, 2015. Thousands of the
nation’s foremost journalists,
students, educators and media
professionals will gather
to partake in full and half-
day seminars designed to
strengthen and enhance their
skills.
National Association of Black Journalists | www.nabj.org6

7. 7NABJ Media Institute on Health | April 9 - 11, 2015
NABJ Media Institute on Health
Thursday, April 10
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. REGISTRATION
8:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Opening Remarks
Bob Butler, NABJ President
9:45 a.m. Welcome
Penny Duckham, Executive Director, Kaiser Media
Fellowships and Internships Program for
Health Policy Media, Kaiser Family Foundation
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Building Success Through The
Maryland Model
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the state of Maryland
are partnering to modernize the nation’s only all-payer hospital rate-setting
system. This initiative will update Maryland’s 36-year-old Medicare waiver to
allow the state to adopt new policies intended to reduce per capita hospital
expenditures and improve health outcomes as encouraged by the Affordable Care
Act. Can Maryland hospitals advance better care, better health and reduce costs
using this model? What adjustments are hospitals making to ensure success.
What is being done to reduce costs and improve population health? Ask those
who are facing the challenges of making this model work.
Panelists: Andrea Kristina McDaniels, The Baltimore Sun
Vinnie DeMarco, President, Health Care for All! Coalition
Rev. Dr. Diane H. Johnson, Executive Director, Collective
Empowerment Group
Victor Waters, M.D., J.D., F.C. L.M., Interim President &
CEO/Chief Medical Officer, Nexus Health, Inc.
Dr. Carnell Cooper, Chief Medical Officer, Dimensions
Healthcare System

8. National Association of Black Journalists | www.nabj.org8
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Improving Health Literacy Among
Newly Insured African Americans
- Powered by the National Institute for
Health Care Management Foundation
Millions of African Americans have become newly eligible and insured since
the passage of the Affordable Care Act. But insurance coverage is just the
beginning—much work is still needed to increase health care literacy within
this population, specifically how to select a health insurance plan and how to
use it. This panel will bring together leaders across various sectors to discuss
how to improve health care education, outreach and enrollment among African
Americans.
Panelists: Cara James, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Minority Health,
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services
Shavon L. Arline-Bradley, MPH, Executive Vice President of
Strategic Planning & Partnerships, National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
Rev. Derrick Harkins, National Director of African American
and Faith Engagement, Enroll America
Dr. Thomas Fisher, Vice President of Health Delivery
Transformation, Health Care Service Corporation
12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Professional Development Luncheon
Empowering the Patient and The
Community To Achieve Health Equity
Equity in health care too often is addressed in the context of statistics, policy,
costs and insurance coverage, but featured luncheon speaker Courtney Lang, JD
will focus on health equity through the lens of the patient and the community.
Ms. Lang, a health policy expert who runs a Washington, D.C.-based
consultancy, will discuss patient advocacy as a means of addressing inequities in
care.
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. The Affordable Care Act at Five Years
- Powered by the Kaiser Family
Foundation
Five years after President Obama signed into law the most comprehensive and
influential pieces of health legislation in a generation, we look at the current
state of the ACA. The Kaiser Family Foundation will provide an overview of the
legislation, including Medicaid expansion, the King v. Burwell Supreme Court
case, key timeframes and landmarks, and how to tell the story of the legislation
and coverage for millions of Americans

9. 9NABJ Media Institute on Health | April 9 - 11, 2015
Panelists: Jennifer Tolbert, Director of the Kaiser Foundation State
Health Reform Program, Kaiser Family Foundation
Laura Snyder, Senior Policy Analyst, Kaiser Commission on
Medicaid and the Uninsured, Kaiser Family Foundation
MaryBeth Musumeci, JD, Associate Director,
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured,
Kaiser Family Foundation
Julie Rovner, Senior Correspondent, Kaiser Health News
2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. The Right to Health: Reproductive
Justice and Women’s Health
While a controversial topic for many, speaking about health equity for women
of color would be incomplete without a frank discussion on reproductive health
and reproductive rights. From the legislative attacks on women’s health centers at
the state level to national discussions on motherhood, this panel will discuss this
vital intersection of race, gender, and health.
Panelists: Maya Rhodan, Time
Monica Simpson, Executive Director, SisterSong
Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Director of African American
Leadership and Engagement, Planned Parenthood Federation
of America
Linda Blount, Executive Director, Black Women’s Health
Imperative
Heidi Williamson, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for American
Progress
FRIDAY, April 10, 2015
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Registration
8:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:10 a.m. Opening Remarks
Cindy George, Reporter, Houston Chronicle; NABJ Media
Institute Chair and NABJ Parliamentarian
9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. opening Remarks from Secretary of
Health Sylvia Mathews Burwell
NABJ welcomes Secretary of Health Sylvia Mathews Burwell who will provide
keynote remarks about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ work
in protecting our health and working to ensure health equity of all Americans.

10. National Association of Black Journalists | www.nabj.org10
9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Protecting our Future: Battling
Childhood Obesity
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest philanthropy
dedicated to health, has doubled down on its investment to reverse the childhood
obesity epidemic, committing $500 million on top of a half-billion already
dedicated to addressing the problem over the last eight years. RWJF focuses
on the many societal factors that impact childhood health with programs and
policies to ensure children have safe spaces to play, and parents are educated on
healthy food choices and have access to affordable grocery stores. Learn more
about foundation initiatives to promote the wellbeing of children, families and
communities by building a Culture of Health in our nation.
Panelists: Linda Wright Moore, MA, Senior Communications Officer,
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
David Krol, MD, MPH, Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation
Ruth Perot, Co-founder and Executive Director/CEO, Summit
Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc.
Maya Rockeymoore, PhD, President and CEO, Center for
Global Policy Solutions
10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. A Conversation with
Dr. J. Nadine Gracia
April is National Minority Health Month and we are celebrating by welcoming
Nadine Gracia, MD, MSCE, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health
and Director of the Office of Minority Health for the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services! Join us for an intimate discussion on her work on ensuring
health equity for communities of color, including the continuing legacy of the
landmark Report on Black and Minority Health, also known as the “Heckler
Report,” on its 30th Anniversary.

11. 11NABJ Media Institute on Health | April 9 - 11, 2015
12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Disparities in Prostate Cancer in
African Americans
- Powered by Astellas US, Inc.
African American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer compared with
White men and are nearly 2.5 times as likely to die from the disease. From factors
ranging from genetics to social and environmental factors, this panel will discuss
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of prostate cancer and how it affects African
American men.
Panelists: Margaret Long, VP Business Communications and Advocacy,
Astellas US, Inc.
Lawrence Sanders, MD, President, National Medical
Association; Associate Sean of Clinical Affairs,
Morehouse College of Medicine
Darryl Mitteldorf, Executive Director, MaleCare
Otis W. Brawley, M.D., F.A.C.P. Chief Medical Officer,
American Cancer Society
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Food Safety in African American
Communities
Food safety is an important factor in discussions regarding healthy communities
and health equity. The panel will address the importance of food safety;
emerging data in the disparities in food safety in minorities communities; food
safety regulations and protections; how food-borne illnesses can be prevented
by consumers; and measures taken by agencies to ensure the public is informed
when outbreaks occur.
2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Supporting Medical Students of Color
The importance of a diverse medical community cannot be overstated. While
African-Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans comprise more than
26 percent of the U.S. population, they represent just 6 percent of practicing
physicians. From culturally competent care to more accurate diagnoses in
patients of color, encouraging young aspiring medical students is key in the fight
for health equity. This panel will discuss initiatives to recruit students of color
into medical school as well as the challenges they face and support structures
available.
Panelists: Marc Nivet, Ed.D. Chief Diversity Officer, Association of
American Medical Colleges
Brittney Phillips, Chairperson of the Board of Directors,
Student National Medical Association
Dr. Grace E. Henry, Director for Diversity and Inclusion,
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health
Sciences

12. National Association of Black Journalists | www.nabj.org12
SATURDAY, April 11, 2015
National Press Club
Zenger Room
529 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20045
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Speed Pitch Roundtable
Health advocates offer story ideas and resources to journalists.
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 P.M. Journalists’ Roundtable
A session dedicated to helping attendees understand the information they
have learned, formulate story ideas and discuss innovative ways to present the
information to viewers, readers and listeners.

13. NABJ Media Institute on Health | April 9-11, 2015
Sylvia Mathews Burwell was sworn in as the
22nd Secretary of Health & Human Services
(HHS) on June 9, 2014.
A results-driven manager, Secretary Burwell
has led large and complex organizations
across the public and private sectors.
Secretary Burwell has called for the
Department to operate under three
guiding tenets: to deliver results on a wide
range of complex issues; to strengthen the
relationships that drive progress; and to
build strong teams with the talent and focus
needed to deliver impact for the American
people.
Most recently, Burwell served as Director of the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB), where she worked closely with Congress to help return to a more
orderly budget and appropriations process that brought needed stability to the
economy and middle-class families. She led the Administration’s efforts to deliver
a smarter, more innovative and more accountable government. She oversaw the
development of the President’s Second-Term Management Agenda, including
efforts to expedite high-impact permitting projects, drive efficiencies and improve
customer service. Additionally, she worked to ensure that our regulatory system
protects the health and safety of Americans, while promoting economic growth,
job creation and innovation.
Prior to serving in the Administration, Burwell served as President of the
Walmart Foundation, and President of the Global Development Program and
Chief Operating Officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
During the Clinton Administration, Burwell served as Deputy Director of OMB,
Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the
Treasury and Staff Director of the National Economic Council. Prior to joining
the Clinton Administration, Burwell worked for McKinsey & Company. She
has served on the boards of the Council on Foreign Relations, MetLife, and the
University of Washington Medical Center, among other organizations.
Secretary Burwell received an A.B. from Harvard University and a B.A. from
Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
A second-generation Greek-American, Burwell hails from Hinton, West Virginia.
She and her husband Stephen live in Washington, D.C. with their two young
children.
13NABJ Media Institute on Health | April 9 - 11, 2015

14. National Association of Black Journalists14
Dr. J. Nadine Gracia is the Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Minority Health
and the Director of the Office of Minority
Health at the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS). The
Office of Minority Health is dedicated
to improving the health of racial and
ethnic minority populations through
the development of health policies and
programs that will help eliminate health
disparities.
A pediatrician with epidemiology
training, Dr. Gracia has served in
academic medicine and government.
From 2010 to 2011, she was the Chief
Medical Officer for the HHS Office
of the Assistant Secretary for Health
(OASH). She provided programmatic and policy leadership and coordination
of a portfolio that included child and adolescent health, climate change,
disaster preparedness, environmental health, global health, Haiti recovery
and the White House Council on Women and Girls. Most recently, she led the
development of HHS’s 2012 environmental justice strategy, which addresses
the disproportionate exposure of minority and low-income communities and
Indian tribes to environmental hazards and promotes healthy community
environments.
In 2008-2009, Dr. Gracia was one of fourteen White House Fellows and was
assigned to HHS, where she worked in OASH and the Office of the Secretary.
During the last two months of the fellowship, she was a policy advisor in the
Office of the First Lady, assisting in the development of the childhood obesity
initiative.
Previously, Dr. Gracia was a clinical instructor and general pediatrics research
fellow at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, conducting research on
community risk factors for violence. She received a Master of Science in
Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania and a medical
degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Gracia
completed her pediatrics residency and served as Chief Pediatrics Resident at
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She is board-certified in pediatrics and is a
fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Gracia is an advocate for minority and vulnerable populations and lectures
nationwide on health disparities and children’s health. She is a National
President Emeritus of the Student National Medical Association and a past
Postgraduate Physician Trustee of the National Medical Association. A first-
generation Haitian-American, Dr. Gracia earned a Bachelor of Arts with
Honors in French at Stanford University.

15. 15NABJ Media Institute on Health | April 9-11, 2015
Courtney Lang, JD is an independent
health policy and public affairs expert
with a primary focus on grassroots and
grasstops mobilization.
She is the principal and founder of Langco
+ Partners, a boutique public affairs firm,
recognized for mobilizing constituencies
to achieve impactful business goals aligned
with health policy.
Courtney is an accomplished advocate
for mental health, women’s health and
the integration of behavioral health into
primary care. She has directed coalitions
and legislative partnerships in support of
federal and state-wide priorities, providing
guidance to clients on the implementation requirements of key provisions
within the Affordable Care Act.
She co-led the award winning Depression is Real campaign from 2007-11,
which provided messaging and coalition support on the biological basis of
depression. Courtney provides technical assistance and trainings on program
implementation, sustainability, and measures of effectiveness to organizations
through strategic communications, stakeholder activation and digital advocacy
campaigns.
Previously, Courtney served as the Senior Director of Alliance Development
for Pfizer Inc., (and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals), where she successfully built
sustainable private-public sector partnerships and determined the strategic
focus for national advocacy and alliance development activities. Additional
industry service includes her tenure at Eli Lilly & Company as the US Public
Affairs Liaison based in Washington, DC. She was recognized nationally for her
efforts in growing the companies minority health outreach and interface with
communities of color.
Courtney earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Pepperdine
University and a Juris Doctor degree from The Ohio State University College of
Law. She also studied Comparative Health Law and Policy at St. Anne’s College,
Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
She is a native of Washington, DC and has resided in Los Angeles, CA and
Cleveland, OH.
15NABJ Media Institute on Health | April 9 - 11, 2015

16. National Association of Black Journalists | www.nabj.org16
1100 Knight Hall, Suite 3100
College Park, MD 20742
Tel: (301) 405-0248 | Fax: (301) 314-1714
www.NABJ.org