National Public Health Week
Thank you for helping us celebrate the 2023 National Public Health Week, held April 3-5.
Recordings from each speaker's presentation are available on Kaltura and linked below.
Monday, April 3: Sheryl Garland
Presentation: Addressing Social Determinants/Drivers of Health as a Strategy for Improving Outcomes for Health System Patients
Presentation slides are available upon request.
About Sheryl Garland
Sheryl Garland joined the VCU Health System in 1987 and is currently Chief of Health Impact, responsible for building programs and partnerships to improve the health of populations and communities served by VCU Health System. In addition to her health system responsibilities, she currently serves as the Executive Director of Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) Office of Health Equity.
Sheryl is the recipient of several awards including the American College of Health Care Executives Regent’s Early Career Healthcare Executive Award, the VCU Presidential Award for Community Multicultural Enrichment (Administrator Award), VCU/MCV School of Medicine Dean’s Award for Community Service, YWCA of Richmond Outstanding Woman of the Year Award in the field of Health/Science, the VCU Department of Health Administration Alumni of the Year Award, and the First African Baptist Church Community Leader’s Award.
Tuesday, April 4: Benjamin Barber
Presentation: Influencing policy to ensure all Virginians have access to comprehensive health care that includes oral health
About Ben Barber
Ben Barber is Policy Director at Virginia Health Catalyst in Richmond, VA. He is responsible for analyzing policies, regulations, and legislation, assessing the impact of policy changes, and developing short- and long-range policy initiatives to improve health and advance equity.
Prior to joining Catalyst, Ben served as Senior Health Policy Analyst for VCU Health System, where he was responsible for analyzing federal and state health policy changes and educating senior leaders about their impact on the health system and its patients. He also serves as President-Elect of the Virginia Public Health Association and as an adjunct Professor in the University of Richmond’s Health Studies Department.
Wednesday, April 5: Cliff Morris, MD
Presentation: Can ‘Blue Zones’ Be A Solution to Health Disparities and the Social Determinants of Health?
About Cliff Morris, MD
Cliff Morris, MD, is the founder of the Morris Cardiovascular and Risk Reduction Center, whose unique approach considers the physical, psychological, cultural and social aspects of heart disease. The Center has the first Medical Fitness Program of its kind and reverses heart disease and diabetes using the emerging practice of Lifestyle Medicine.
Dr. Morris, board-certified in both Cardiology and Lifestyle Medicine, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has been recognized numerous times for his life's work and humanitarian efforts, including the 2008 Planetree Physicians' Award for compassion-oriented patient care, and both the 2009 and 2019 HCA First Humanitarian Award. Of special note, in September 2023, he accepted the 2023 Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award in Washington, D.C. He lives by the quote, "All doctors are not the same."