For Release:  June 15, 2010 
Contact: Pamela Williams
Office of Communications
(405) 271-5601

OHEC to Discuss the Impact of Race and Ethnicity on Health, June 29

The Oklahoma Health Equity Campaign (OHEC) Partners will convene to discuss “Looking Up the River: The Impact of Race and Ethnicity on Health,” at their next meeting Tuesday, June 29, at 2 p.m. in Room 314 of the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), 1000 N.E. 10^th St. in Oklahoma City. 

The guest speaker is Mana Tahaie, director of Racial Justice at the YWCA- Tulsa. Tahaie is an advocate for ending oppression in all forms and has devoted her career to social justice issues. She is the convener of the Tulsa Say No to Hate Coalition; chairs the board of the United Campus Ministry at the University of Tulsa, an ecumenical/interfaith campus ministry with an emphasis on social justice; and serves on the Women’s & Gender Studies Community Advisory Board. She previously served as the Deputy Director of Oklahomans for Equality.

Tahaie’s presentation will cover racial health inequities, an analysis of institutional racism in health care, and some key recommendations that health care practitioners can take to improve health care in minority and under-served populations.

 “This is an opportunity for those attending to hear about the issues affecting health equities in Oklahoma and to discuss the recommendations presented by the speaker on ways to address those concerns,” said Marisa New Wells, director of OSDH Health Equity and Resource Opportunities (HERO).

The public is invited to attend. Please RSVP by calling (405) 271-9444, ext. 56543.  If you live outside the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, you may join from one of the following county health departments:

• Carter CHD - 405 S. Washington, Ardmore, OK 73401 – Contact Dana Dorothy-Turner – (580) 223-9705 Ext. 335    
• Harper CHD - 7th & Oklahoma  Suite 9, Laverne, OK 73848 – Contact Melody Blair (580) 921-2029
• Hughes CHD - 200 McDougal Drive, Holdenville, Oklahoma 74848-2811 – Contact Barbara Maxwell (405) 379-3313
• Johnston CHD – 1080 S. Byrd, Tishomingo, Oklahoma 73401 – Contact Janie Robinson (580) 371-2470
• Pontotoc CHD -1630 East Beverly, Suite 101, Ada, Oklahoma 74820 – Contact Ellen Griffin (580) 332-2011
• Rogers CHD - 2664 N. Highway 88 Unit A, Claremore, Oklahoma 74017 – Contact Tina Shatto (918) 341-3166
• Tulsa CHD - 5051 S. 129th East Avenue, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74134 – Contact Deidre Stanley (918) 582-9355 (Room 231 JOG-1)

If your county health department is not listed, please call (405) 271-9444, ext. 56543 before Thursday, June 24, 2010, to check on its availability. To learn more about upcoming HERO events, contact Marisa New Wells at e-mail marisan@health.ok.gov. 

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