On Thursday, January 23, YWCA Greenwich hosted the Annual Coretta Scott & Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Conversation, a community forum organized by YWCA Greenwich’s Center for Equity & Justice to celebrate the lives of Dr. and Mrs. King. This year’s panel discussion focused on Women’s Health Equity.
Moderated by Simone Quartey, Director of the Center for Equity & Justice, the panel of experts included Dr. Mia Kazanjian, Diagnostic Radiologist at Stamford Health, who provided statistics on cancer rates in the United States indicating disparate outcomes and mortality rates for women of color
Director of Medical Administration for the State of Connecticut’s Division of Health Services, Fatmata Williams, provided an overlay of how social determinants determine the insurance coverage women get. She highlighted how issues of access, economic inequality and systemic bias impact health outcomes and shorten life expectancy.
Rounding out the panel were OB/GYNs, Dr. Juliet Mushi of Harlem Hospital and Dr. Romelle Maloney of Greenwich Hospital, who provided insights into how structural racial and gender inequalities exacerbate issues like the Black maternal health crisis and access to physicians.
The forum closed with a thought exercise, facilitated by Two Gems Consulting, a women-led consulting group working in tandem with YWCA Greenwich’s Center for Equity & Justice to understand health disparities for women. Attendees were asked to imagine what a just and equitable health ecosystem for all women.
To watch the full event and learn more, please visit www.ywcagrn.org/mlk25
