Minority Women’s Health Summit 2007

This past weekend the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health presented the 2007 Minority Women’s Health Summit in Washington, DC. The theme was "Women of Color: Addressing Disparities, Affirming Resilience, and Developing Strategies for Success."

The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. was an active participant with this summit in several ways: Two members of our Medical-Scientific Advisory Council and a member of our national Board of Directors were speakers. Dr. Graciela Alarcon, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, was a luncheon panelist. Dr. Robin Brey, from the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center in San Antonio, and National Board member Karen Evans were presenters during a workshop entitled, "Lupus: Strategies for Understanding the Barrier to Diagnosis in Minority Populations."

The LFA also was an exhibitor where we distributed copies of our publications, including Lupus Now magazine. And, last but not least, the LFA sponsored and designed the summit’s bags given to the approximately 500 participants.

Taking part in this summit was a really great opportunity for the LFA because of the higher incidence of lupus in minority women. After the luncheon panel and our workshop, there were many visitors to our booth who had never before known about lupus or how many people are affected. The LFA was able to educate health and federal workers from all over the country about lupus. To learn more about the Office on Women’s Health and this summit, please visit: http://www.4women.gov/mwhs/.