Episode 9: Health Disparities In Context

For this episode of Beyond Substance we will hear from two people who are working daily to combat health inequities by promoting public health and wellness.

Guests:

• Virginia A. Caine, MD

is the Director and Chief Medical Officer of the Marion County Public Health Department. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine Infectious Diseases Division. She served as a Past President for American Public Health Association, the nation’s oldest and largest public health organization. She received the BioCrossroads “2017 August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year” Award. In 2020, the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) named her as one of 40 Influential People of the past 40 years, as they celebrated 40 Years of Progress in Indianapolis. She was awarded Governor Holcomb’s 2021 Circle of Corydon Award.

She is Chair of the Indiana Clinical and Translational Science Institute External Advisory Board and member of Regenstrief Institute. She is a founding member of the Indiana Health Information Exchange. She is Chair of the National Medical Association Infectious Diseases Section, Co‐Chair of the NMA HIV/AIDS Section, and member of the National Medical Association COVID‐19 Task Force. She is a member of the Indiana COVID Vaccine Allocation and Distribution Workgroup and board member of the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Editorial Board. She is the Chair of the Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center Community Advisory Committee.

She chairs the Managed Emergency Surge of Healthcare (MESH) Coalition, a nonprofit public‐private partnership addressing emergency preparedness in Marion County, Indiana. She is the Chair of ‘Jump IN for Healthy Kids’, which addresses childhood obesity. She is a past member of the National Biodefense Science Board, which provides guidance to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness. She is currently a member of the CDC’s Board of Scientific Counselors, Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases (BSC, DDID); one of CDC’s 19 federal advisory committees.

• Natasha “Tasha Marie” Cheatham

is a Social Entrepreneur from Nap (Indianapolis, IN), who specializes in embracing the simplicity of life through her businesses, Intimate Oasis and Minority Recovery Collective Inc. (MRCI, “mercy”). With over 15 years of life and work experience, Natasha focuses on addressing cultural and family dynamics along with systemic barriers to address the root cause(s) of addiction, mental illness, and mindless violence in Black communities.

Through her work, Natasha aims to bridge the sectors of harm reduction, prevention, and recovery together to provide culturally curated programs and services that support and affirm traditionally exploited groups. Natasha leads as an advocate for the recovery of Black people, Black families, and Black communities from colonialism and white supremacy. She currently serves as the President of MRCI.



Resources:

• Minority Recovery Collective Inc. is a collective of individuals and businesses working together to promote wellness and provide related sponsored events, programs, resources, and services for people who identify as Black, Indigenous, of Color, LGBTQ+, a Minority, and/or a part of another traditionally exploited population. Our mission is to promote the wholistic recovery of Black people, Indigenous people, & People of Color with harm / stress reduction through community and youth engagement. MRCI (wearemrci.org)
• Overdose death rates increased significantly for Black, American Indian/Alaska Native people in 2020 | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC

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