Hon. Donna Christiansen Opens Statewide Health Conference ``Building Bridges to Wellness Through Collaboration''; African-American Physicians, Nurses and Public Health Workers Convene Joint Conference in Sacramento.

SAN DIEGO -- Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus' Health Braintrust Donna M. Christiansen will be the opening keynote speaker at the Statewide Health Conference sponsored by the California Black Health Network (CBHN) and the National Medical Association (NMA) next week. African-American physicians, nurses and public health workers from across California are meeting in Sacramento on April 21-24, 2005 to develop a new health agenda for improving the health status of Black residents. As the first female physician in the history of the U.S. Congress, Dr. Christiansen's keynote address will focus on "The Intersection of Culture, Behavior and Health: Transforming Barriers into Bridges for Wellness."

The 23rd Conference is being convened by the California Black Health Network and Region VI of the National Medical Association. The sessions will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Sacramento beginning Thursday through Sunday, April 21-24. Over 200 delegates are expected to attend the meeting representing hospitals, public health departments, community clinics, community based health advocate organizations and interested residents. Academic health science faculty, students and college students interested in health careers are also expected to attend.

"Our goal is to improve health status and the quality of life for African-Americans in California. We employ strategies that mobilize information and culture to influence lifestyles and improve health care outcomes," explained Harold Tuck, President of the California Black Health Network (CBHN). "We work along two fronts--strengthen the individual and enhance the environment."

In addition to Congresswoman Christiansen, featured speakers at the conference include Margaret Jordan, Executive Vice President of Texas Health Resources; David Carlisle, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development; Bernard Tyson Sr., Vice President of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan; Henry Foster, M.D., Professor Emeritus & Former Dean, Meharry Medical College; and Winston Price, M.D., President of the National Medical Association.

"Improving the health of our community requires understanding its culture, crafting clear messages rooted in every day language, and selecting credible messengers. There is no magic bullet to wellness and African-American physicians cannot close the health status gap alone," stated Nathan Allen, M.D., Chair of Region VI for the National Medical Association. "As physicians, we usually only have 10-15 minutes with a patient. This is really not enough to cause a patient to understand his or her health problem and how to manage it."

For more than 25 years, the California Black Health Network has promoted improved health of African-Americans through policy advocacy, program development, information and education programs, and conducting educational conferences. CBHN has chapters in Oakland, Sacramento, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, Oceanside and San Diego. With a 100-year legacy, the National Medical Association is a non-profit, nationwide organization that represents the interests of African-American physicians and their patients. NMA has chapters in every major city in California and the western United States.

"We are outreaching to college students and graduate students in health professional schools," explained Denise Adams-Simms, Executive Director of CBHN. "We provide young professionals the opportunity to network with senior African-American health officials, obtain the latest data on health disparities, and identify best practices upon which to build models. There are very few places in the country where this happens, other than our meetings."

For further information, visit the CBHN website: www.cbhn.org. For conference information and registration, contact Jim Forde, CBHN, 619-295-5413 or email [e-mail].

For more about Congresswoman Christiansen, visit: http://www.house.gov/christian-christensen/.