The theme of the 47th annual Minority Health Conference, “Uniting Words and Worlds: Innovation in Health Communication,” speaks to the heart of public health: the ability to share knowledge in ways that move people, shape policy, and spark change. Advances in science mean little if they remain locked in journals, hidden behind complex jargon, or mistrusted by the very communities they are meant to serve. In today’s world, where misinformation spreads faster than truth, the way we communicate can mean the difference between harm and healing.

This theme highlights communication as a science, an art, and a skill. Effective communication requires not only rigor and creativity but also the strategy to reach diverse audiences and the skill to build trust in challenging contexts. It challenges us to reimagine how research, stories, and solutions are connected and to ask: How can words heal divides? How can storytelling open doors to healthier futures? How can communication be used not just to inform, but to inspire action and advance justice?

The 47th annual Minority Health Conference aims to bring together voices across disciplines, including community leaders, researchers, policymakers, and health advocates, to explore innovative ways of making health knowledge accessible and transformative. By focusing on communication, we aim to spotlight new tools, platforms, and strategies that break down barriers, amplify marginalized voices, and ensure that solutions resonate where they are needed most.

47th Annual Minority Health Conference Keynote Speakers 

28^th William T. Small Jr. Keynote Speaker 

Reed V. Tuckson, MD, FACP 

Biography

Dr. Reed V. Tuckson is Managing Director of Tuckson Health Connections, LLC, a vehicle to advance multidisciplinary initiatives that support optimal health and wellbeing.

Currently, Dr. Tuckson’s focus is on his role as a Co-Convener and Chair of the Board of the Coalition For Trust In Health & Science which is dedicated to bringing together the entire health related ecosystem to support people in accessing and using reliable evidence to make personally appropriate health choices and decisions.

In addition, he continues to build on his work as a co-founder of the Black Coalition Against COVID, a multi-stakeholder and interdisciplinary effort that focused on mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C. and nationally, by evolving into the Black Coalition For Health that focuses on leveraging community assets to address the prevention of long standing chronic illness challenges.

Previously, he enjoyed a long tenure as Executive Vice President and Chief of Medical Affairs for UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune 20 Health and wellbeing company. A recognized leader in his field, Dr. Tuckson is honored to have been appointed to leadership roles at the National Institutes of Health; National Academy of Medicine; numerous Federal Advisory Committees; and corporate, non-profit and academic boards.

15^th Victor J. Schoenbach Keynote Speaker

Lisa K. Fitzpatrick, MD, MPH, MPA

Biography

Dr. Fitzpatrick is an infectious diseases physician and CDC-trained medical epidemiologist whose career bridges clinical medicine, public health, and community-centered health communication. Her work reflects a deep commitment to translating complex medical and public health knowledge into information that is accessible, trusted, and actionable for diverse communities.

Dr. Fitzpatrick has held leadership roles across research, global health, patient advocacy, and health system innovation, most recently serving as Medical Director for Washington, DC’s Medicaid program, where she worked at the intersection of policy, care delivery, and patient engagement. She is a professorial lecturer at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and an adjunct clinical professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine.

A recognized leader in health innovation, Dr. Fitzpatrick is an Aspen Institute Health Innovator Fellow and a member of the Aspen Institute Global Leadership Network. Her professional interests center on health literacy, patient engagement, and the use of digital and narrative-driven strategies to improve health communication for underserved populations. She is the founder of Grapevine Health, a platform dedicated to delivering credible, culturally grounded health information by meeting communities where they are linguistically, socially, and digitally.