Former US general surgeon Regina M. Benjamin will lead a discussion of public health disparities at an online event presented on April 14 by EngenuitySC.
The free event will start at noon and will be moderated by the University of South Carolina researcher and assistant professor at the College of Nursing Tisha Felder, co-founder of Mocha Mamas Milk. Questions can be sent during the event to a question and answer session at the end.
Dr. Benjamin was the 18th General Surgeon for 2009-2013. Founder and CEO of the Gulf States Health Policy Center, she focuses on preventive health care and the development of community strategies for rural and low-income communities.
The online event is part of the 2021 Competitiveness Week. Public health serves as a measure of the area’s economic success and is used in the Gallup Well-Being Index, a metric used in the Midlands Regional Competitiveness Report’s habitability index.
“Public health is not just a public health problem,” said Elise Partin, mayor of Cayce, chairman of EngenuitySC and adjunct professor at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina, in a press release. “It is a question of economic development: do companies want to get to a location if diabetes, heart disease or other impacts on their health insurance affect their financial results? It is a matter of community development: do we have safe places to walk or ride a bicycle, to have fun or to get around the city? It is a question of equity and equality: does everyone have the same access to health care, healthy food and security? “
Ben Green, president and COO of Insurance Advantage and board member of EngenuitySC, will open the event. Early registration is required and is available online.
“As business and community leaders, we can have an additional positive impact that has a ripple effect on all aspects of our region,” said Partin.