The Greater New Bedford Allies for Health and Wellness (GNB Allies) held its second Health Equity Summit at the Fort Taber Community Center on November 15, 2013. Allies Chairperson Barbara Asksen welcomed about fifty people to the four-hour gathering before Kerry Mello of Southcoast Hospitals introduced Kikki Burnett of the American Heart Association who gave the keynote address. The group who crafted Allies' Resolution to Promote Health Equity then read the document. The presentations concluded with a panel introduced by Southeast Area Department of Public Health Regional Director Ron O'Connor that included Ms. Kerry, New Bedford School Superintendent Dr. Pia Durkin, Inter-Church Council Executive Minister Rev. David Lima, Immigrants' Assistant Center Director Helena DaSilva Hughes, and New Bedford Housing Authority ROSS staff member Maria Mojica. The program concluded with small group discussions and lunch. Click here for a two-hour video of the Summit. Click here for the Standard Times article. More information about GNB Allies is available at www.gnbcoast.org. For more information, contact GNB Allies coordinator, Elizabeth Leatham. 

(Top row) Greater New Bedford Allies for Health and Wellness Chairperson Barbara Acksen introduces Gabriel Spinola of Tufts Health Plan before Keynote Speaker Kikki Burnett of the American Heart Association made her presentation. (Row two, left and right) New Bedford School Superintendent Dr. Pia Durkin and New Bedford Housing Authority ROSS staff member Maria Mojica spoke about their perspective on health equity from the panel. (Row two, center) Martha Gonzalez, formerly of the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center, and Kerry Mello of Southcoast Hospitals, co-chairs of Alies' Health Equity Committee, join Helena Hughes, Marianne DaSilva and Kathy Murphy for a reading of the Allies' Resolution to Promote Health Equity. (Row three) The group, including Zeolinda Pereira of the Brain Injury Association, divides into five groups for discussion and lunch. (Bottom row) Southcoast cardiovascular Nurse Donna Querim listens as Denise Gaudette of the New Bedford Public Schools, Rev. David Lima, and Helena DaSilva Hughes report out from their respective groups.