Davis and Vivent Health Partner for “Make HIV History” Event on 2/24 in Honor of Black History Month
MILWAUKEE, WI - February 17, 2021 – Overcoming racism is a critical role in advancing our nation’s response to HIV and other health disparities. Racism makes it harder to access quality health care and harder to obtain the prevention and education that people need to live a long and healthy life. Angela Davis, an American political activist, philosopher, academic, author and professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Michael Gifford, Vivent Health President and Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a free, virtual conversation on Wednesday, February 24 at 5:00 PM CST to discuss these challenges and how to overcome them.
The national discussion will be moderated by Steven Thrasher, an American writer, faculty member of Northwestern University’s Institute of Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing and inaugural Daniel H. Renberg chair at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, the first journalism professorship in the world created to focus on LGBTQ+ research. This timely event will commemorate Black History Month and is part of Vivent Health’s ongoing “Make HIV History” series, which highlights a range of barriers that impact the health and well-being of people in our communities. The virtual conversation will focus on the intersections of race, sexual orientation and identity and health care, and will discuss next steps toward creating health equity for all Americans, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, gender identity, where they live and/or their socioeconomic status.
“There are great challenges, beyond the record number of people living with HIV and beyond the number of people who still need access to care, and some of the tremendous ones, sadly, continue to be racism and stigma,” said Michael Gifford, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vivent Health. “Events like Make HIV History allow people to learn about and become advocates for dismantling racism.”
Racism is a public health crisis, a reality reflected in the health disparities and the disproportionate impact of HIV on African Americans in the United States. According to the CDC, African Americans make up a disproportionate number of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses — approximately 43% — and experience lower viral suppression than other groups. These disparities have deepened over time as progress has stalled. Working closely with all our African American patients, Vivent Health has charted a different course where these national disparities are dissipating, if not being eliminated.
Vivent Health’s “Make HIV History Black History Month - A National Conversation on the Intersection of Race and Health” will be presented virtually from 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM CST on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. The event will be free to the public. To learn more about Vivent Health’s “Make HIV History” event and how to participate, please visit viventhealth.org/make-hiv-history
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VIVENT HEALTH Vivent Health is a nationally recognized leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Vivent Health is best known for its high-quality HIV patient outcomes and operates the only HIV Medical Home in America recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The HIV Medical Home model of care offers integrated health and social services including medical, dental, mental health and pharmacies, along with case management and social support provided by a team of professionals dedicated to patient care. Vivent Health is also a leading provider of innovative and aggressive prevention services that help at-risk individuals remain HIV negative. Vivent Health operates in 15 locations in Colorado, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin, and serves tens of thousands of people at-risk for HIV, and more than 10,000 patients each year. To learn more about Vivent Health go to www.viventhealth.org.