Cabarrus Health Alliance to host CHAsm summit 3/24, registration now open

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - In collaboration with the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) and the Cabarrus Public Health Interest (CPHI), the Cabarrus Health Alliance (CHA) will host the CHAsm Summit: Closing gaps on disparities, opening paths for equity - on Friday, March 24, 2023 at Kannapolis Laureate Center – 401 Laureate Way, Kannapolis.

The CHAsm Summit is intended to highlight the importance of including equity-based practices into public, private and non-profit sector work. By hosting a diverse group of speakers, the Summit will reinforce the importance of best practices for promoting equity in every field.

Continuing Education Credits are available and approved for individuals who attend the entire conference. Director of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Urban Investment Strategies Center, Dr. James (Jim) Johnson will serve as the keynote speaker.

“One of the main goals of the CHAsm Summit is to challenge attendees to assess their own agency equity practices,” said Keon Lewis, CHA Equity Coordinator. “Our hope is that by creating a space where there can be an exchange of ideas between individuals and agencies, it will promote change that better support improved community outcomes.”

In September 2020, the Cabarrus County Public Health Authority Board of Commissioners, the governing body of the Cabarrus Health Alliance, joined a growing number of U.S. cities, counties and public health departments in declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis. The CHAsm Summit is one strategy the organization has adopted to support several action items outlined in the proclamation.

“This is an exciting time to bring experts and thought leaders together to learn from one another. While our agency is fully committed to our continued internal equity work, it is the collaboration with partners that is most exciting and the summit strives to do just that,” said Erin Shoe, CHA Public Health Director.

Within the 2020 proclamation, CHA committed to internal and external strategies, including:

Advocate for relevant policies that improve health of communities of color and support local, state and regional/national initiatives that advance efforts to dismantle systematic racism;
Work to build alliance and partnerships with other organizations that are confronting racism and encourage other local, state, regional/national sectors to recognize racism as a public health crisis;
Encourage community partners and stakeholders in the education, employment, housing criminal justice and safety areas to recognize racism as a public health crisis and to implement portions or all of this declaration;
Promote community engagement, actively engaging citizens on issues of racism and equity, and providing tools to engage actively and authentically with communities of color and other marginalized groups;

If you would like to learn more and register for the CHAsm Summit, please visit https://www.charlotteahec.org/event/69030.

Interested in being a sponsor? Please contact Keon Lewis - Kenyato.Lewis@CabarrusHealth.org or Kelly Blasky – Kelly.Blasky@atriumhealth.org for more information on sponsorship levels.