The B.I.G Symposium 2023
Health Equity at the Forefront
The B.I.G. Symposium 2023
Health Equity at the Forefront
Date & Time:
Fri, May 5, 2023, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM CDT
Location:
David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago
1201 East 60th Street Chicago, IL 60637
Black communities in the U.S. suffer from poorer health outcomes, including in digestive health. Despite efforts to address disparities in gastroenterology and hepatology, health inequity persists. A symposium dedicated to Black digestive health is needed to convene experts to discuss the historical, current and future state of health inequity and a way forward. This symposium provides a platform to explore the root causes of health and health care disparities, highlight current problems, and present evidence-based solutions. The B.I.G. Symposium 2023: Health Equity at the Forefront is a critical step towards addressing disparities and ensuring equitable access to quality care and better health outcomes for Black communities.
Course Learning Objectives
Upon completion, participants should be able to:
- Understand how health disparities in a variety of gastrointestinal and liver diseases deleteriously impact the path to health equity in digestive diseases.
- Describe actionable strategies to improve health equity in gastrointestinal and liver diseases.
- Discuss concepts of community engagement and patient advocate partnerships with physicians and researchers to collaboratively improve health equity in Black communities
- Evaluate approaches to foster successful mentor/mentee relationships for URIM medical students, resident and fellow trainees, and junior faculty.

SOPHIE BALZORA, MD, FACG
Clinical Professor of Medicine
NYU Grossman School of
Medicine
President/Co-founder, ABGH

UGO IROKU, MD,MHS
Clinical Assistant Professor
Icahn School of Medicine at
Mount Sinai
Co-founder, ABGH

BROOKE ABBOTT
Patient Thought Leader, IBDMoms

AKWI ASOMBANG, MD, MPH
Interventional Gastroenterologist
Director of Global Health Programs
Massachusetts General Hospital

JOHN M. CARETHERS, MD, MACP
Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology
Department of Medicine
UC San Diego

DARWIN L. CONWELL, MD, MSC, FACG
Professor and Chair
Department of Internal Medicine
Jack M. Gill Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine
University of Kentucky College of Medicine

DONNA CRYER, JD
President & CEO of Global Liver Institute

PATRICIA D. JONES, MD, MSCR
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Division of Digestive Health and Liver Diseases
Department of Medicine
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Miami Miller
School of Medicine

DARRELL M. GRAY, II, MD, MPH, FACG
Co-founder, ABGH

CEDREK MCFADDEN, MD, FACS, FASCRS
Associate Professor of Surgery
University of South Carolina
School of Medicine Greenville

CANDACE HENLEY
Founder/CSO
The Blue Hat Foundation, Inc

MARIA OLIVA-HEMKER, MD
Vice Dean for Faculty
Mary Wallace Stanton Professor for Faculty Affairs
Director, Division of Pediatric
Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Stermer Family Professor of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD

JEREMY LOUISSAINT, MD
Assistant Professor
Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases
University of Texas Southwestern

HANNIBAL PERSON, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Seattle Children’s Hospital
University of Washington

MELODIE NARAIN-BLACKWELL
President, Color of Crohn’s & Chronic Illness

ANDREA EWING REID, MD, MPH
Associate Dean for Student and Multicultural Affairs
Director of the Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs (ORMA)
Harvard Medical School
Director of Diversity and Faculty Development
Mass General Gastroenterology
Massachusetts General Hospital

LAUREN D. NEPHEW, MD, MSCE
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Associate-Vice Chair of Health Equity
Indiana University Department of Medicine

EUGENIA UCHE-ANYA, MD, MPH
Gastroenterology Fellow
Massachusetts General Hospital

AKINBOWALE (AKIN) OYALOWO, MD, MSHP
Consultant, McKinsey & Company

NICOLETTE JULIANA RODRIGUEZ, MD, MPH
Instructor, Harvard Medical School
Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy –
Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Cancer Genetics & Prevention – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

DENNIS J. SPENCER, MD, PHD
Director, Equity Diversity and
Inclusion, Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Associate Program Director, Boston Combined Residency Program
Boston Children’s Hospital | Harvard Medical School
10:00AM – 11:00AM | REGISTRATION | |
11:00AM – 11:05AM | WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS |
Dr. Sophie Balzora |
11:05AM – 12:05PM | WHEN YOU GET, GIVE: HOW TO BE A GOOD MENTOR AND MENTEE (LUNCH) | Dr. John M. Carethers – Moderator Dr. Akwi Asombang Dr. Darwin L. Conwell Dr. Jeremy Louissaint Dr. Andrea Ewing Reid |
12:05PM – 12:15PM | Q&A | |
12:15PM – 12:35PM | BREAK | |
12:35PM – 12:55PM | WHEN THE FUTURE IS NOW: THE USE OF AI IN GI ENDOSCOPY AND ITS IMAPACT ON HEALTH EQUITY | Dr. Eugenia Uche-Anya |
12:55PM – 1:15PM | THE WORST SURVIVAL: DECONSTRUCTING THE RISE OF PANCREATIC CANCER IN BLACK WOMEN, AND PANCREATIC CANCER OUTCOMES IN BLACK POPULATIONS | Dr. Nicolette Juliana Rodriguez |
1:15PM – 1:30PM | Q&A | |
1:30PM – 1:40PM | BREAK | |
1:40PM – 2:00PM | FOR THE CULTURE: THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY | Dr. Darrell M. Gray, II |
2:00PM – 2:30PM | WE ARE THE CHANGE WE SEEK: THE IMPACT OF PATIENT ADVOCACY TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES |
Ms. Melodie Narain-Blackwell – Moderator Dr. Cedrek McFadden – Co-moderator Ms. Candace Henley Ms. Donna Cryer Dr. Akinbowale (Akin) Oyalowo |
2:30PM – 2:45PM | Q&A | |
2:45PM – 3:15PM | MORE THAN THE TUSKEGEE SYPHILLIS STUDY: MEDICAL MISTREATMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON CLINICAL RESEARCH ENROLLMENT AMONG MINORITIZED PEDIATRIC AND ADULT PATIENTS WITH IBD | Dr. Maria Oliva-Hemker – Moderator Ms. Brooke Abbott – Co-moderator Dr. Dennis J. Spencer |
3:15PM – 3:25PM | Q&A | |
3:25PM – 3:40PM | GROUP PHOTO | |
3:40PM – 3:50PM | BREAK | |
3:50PM – 4:20PM | TURNING THE TIDE WITH CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE: A ROADMAP TO ELIMINATE DISPARITIES IN LIVER TRANSPLANTATION |
Dr. Lauren D. Nephew – Moderator Dr. Patricia D. Jones Dr. Hannibal Person |
4:20PM – 4:30PM | Q&A | |
4:30PM – 4:45PM | SUMMARY AND CLOSING REMARKS | Dr. Ugo Iroku |
5:00PM – 6:00PM | NETWORKING RECEPTION* |
- This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements
and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the
joint providership of Med-IQ and The Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists
(ABGH). Med-IQ is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for
physicians. - Med-IQ designates this live activity for a maximum of 4.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians
should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. - Networking reception is not included in the CME program. See Details
David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago

This activity is supported by educational grants from Lilly, Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Janssen Biotech, Inc., administered by Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Salix Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers Squibb, AbbVie, and Pfizer Inc.
The official media sponsor of this event is Healio.
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Med-IQ and The Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH). Med-IQ is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Med-IQ designates this live activity for a maximum of 4.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
ABGH thanks its nonprofit and community partners for their support of this medical symposium










