In November, the WMed community and the broader community will gather for the 2024 Health Equity Summit at the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus.
The focus of this year’s event, scheduled for Friday, November 1, is mental health equity. The free, full-day event will feature several morning and afternoon workshops covering important topics, including combatting disparities in mental health care.
The summit, which is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., aims to raise awareness, provide education, and encourage conversations around the importance of mental health equity, cultural competency, and well-being for all in the healthcare and medical school communities.
If you plan to attend, please visit the WMed Continuing Education Portal to register.
This year’s summit was developed in collaboration with Eric Achtyes, MD, MA, DFAPA, chair of the Department of Psychiatry at WMed, and Roger Apple, PhD, associate professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine at WMed, and director of the WMed Pediatric Autism Center.
Attendees at this year’s symposium will get the chance to hear keynote addresses from Jurgen Unützer, MD, MPH, MA, professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and Kevin Fischer, executive director of NAMI Michigan. NAMI – the National Alliance on Mental Illness – is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness and their families.
In addition to the keynote speakers, attendees will hear remarks from Dr. Dickson and WMed Dean Robert G. Sawyer, MD. There will also be several educational opportunities offered throughout the day during four workshop sessions.
During the lunch hour, the summit will feature a research poster showcase for students and other members of the WMed community to highlight projects focusing on health equity in the categories of clinical, public health, medical education scholarship, social and behavioral sciences, and quality improvement.