March 13, 2025
“Black women face higher rates of maternal mortality and cancer mortality than their non-white counterparts,” said Kianta Key, Group Senior Vice President at GCI Health, moderating the panel, “Information is Medicine: Connecting Black Women with Reliable Health Information,” at the second annual State of Black Health: What Now Summit, presented by BlackDoctor.org and USA Today.
GCI Health and Health@WPP brought together an impressive roster of experts who shined a light on the importance of ensuring Black women have access to trustworthy health resources to advance health equity.
In an article recapping the panel discussion, USA Today shared insights gleaned from panel participants, which included Bianca Mayes, MPH, CHES, National Director, Black Health Equity, Planned Parenthood Federation of America; Sharon Allison-Otey, M.D., Executive Director, The COSHAR Healthy Communities Foundation and CEO, Carlden; Kayla Nixon, M.Ed., Communications Manager, Society of Gynecologic Oncology and the Foundation for Women’s Cancer, Founder, Uterine Care Collaborative and Horace Clark,VicePresident, General Manager, BlackDoctor.org.
Noting the stark reality that Black women face health disparities across multiple factors, the article illuminated the panelists’ insights on how misinformation, disinformation and lack of access to credible information from trusted sources helps perpetuate health inequities. “According to research by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, nearly half of Black women with metastatic breast cancer never received information about clinical trials,” said Kianta Key.
In discussing strategies for reaching Black women with critical medical information amid a changing media and political landscape, the panelists underscored that knowledge is life changing and lifesaving. As panelist Kayla Nixon noted, “I think Black women are pretty educated. We are proactive. And I think when we’re given the right information, we know what to do with it.”
Watch the panel discussion, here.