Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff and Chief People & Inclusion Officer Quashan Lockett will address attendees ahead of keynote speech from Dr. Leon McDougle

Registration available for in-person attendance at Pac12.me/23Summit

SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 Health Equity Summit is set for January 26-27, 2023 at the Meyer & Renee Luskin Conference Center at UCLA and features a dynamic lineup of panel discussions across the program, with medical professionals and institutional faculty providing critical insight into effective methods of healthcare delivery.

The two-day event, titled “Race, Gender, Identify & Accessibility Matters in Collegiate Athlete Health,” will examine the delivery of athlete healthcare through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition to distinguished medical faculty, student-athletes with diverse backgrounds from across the Pac-12 are set to participate on the various scheduled panels and provide their own unique perspective.

A full program schedule for the Summit can be found here. Registration to attend is available at Pac12.me/23Summit.

Opening Remarks / Keynote Address

The meeting will kick off with introductory remarks from Miguel A. Rueda, Sr. Associate Athletic Director/Health & Performance at the University of Colorado and Chair of the Pac-12 Student-Athlete Health & Well-Being Initiative (SAHWBI) Board. Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff and Chief People & Inclusion Officer Quashan Lockett will also address attendees to open the proceedings on Thursday morning. 

The opening keynote address will be provided by Leon McDougle, MD, MPH. Dr. McDougle is the Chief Diversity Officer for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and became the first African American to earn the title of Professor with Tenure at The Ohio State University Department of Family and Community Medicine. He was also the 121st president of the National Medical Association.

Panel Discussions at the 2023 Pac-12 Health Equity Summit

The event will feature a number of dynamic panel discussions across the two-day schedule, covering such topics as: 

• Foundation: Why are We Assembled? – This introductory presentation will examine fundamental definitions of and historical context for healthcare disparities. Legal and social justice implications for inequities in healthcare will also be discussed, as well as how disparities in health access affect various demographics of current student-athletes.
• Provision of Care with Diverse Patients – This panel will provide an examination of clinical research on healthcare gaps and outcomes of healthcare delivery across diverse populations. Dr. Donald Porter, Head Team Physician for the Arizona Athletic Department, will participate in the session and is set to reflect on his extensive medical career as a Black physician in athletics. Dr. Mitchell Lunn, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine, will also serve on the panel and provide important context regarding healthcare disparities in the LGBTQ+ population.
• Student-Athlete Perspective – This discussion will facilitate understanding of the student-athlete perspective on healthcare delivery and how medical professionals can account for diverse experiences and backgrounds from various athlete demographics. Particular emphasis will be placed on advocacy for adaptive athletics and healthcare, with expert analysis from Drs. Cheri Blauwet and Oluwaferanmi Okanlami. 
• NCAA & Pac-12 Review – This panel discussion will seek to identify possible future policy and research topics on cultural issues impacting mental health management and healthcare disparities. Additionally, Dr. Marc Norcross, Clinical Associate Professor for the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State, will speak to his ongoing research project pertaining to utilization of care. The project was funded by the Pac-12 SAHWBI’s Research Grants Program.
• Mental Health Considerations to Support Health Equity – Participants will discuss the unique burdens that diverse student-athletes carry through their collegiate experience, as well as examine how internalized oppression regarding homophobia and racism can negatively impact the mental health of athletes. Panelist Mac Brown, Assistant Director/Training Coordinator for Colorado Athletics, will speak to the effects on physical and mental health that healthcare access, or lack thereof, can have on trans and non-binary student-athletes.  
• Medical Teams – What Do We Need to Examine? – Led by Dr. Sherree A. Wilson, Associate Vice Chancellor and Associate Dean, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Washington University School of Medicine, the panel will discuss specific factors that medical professionals should focus on when examining effective strategies to combat healthcare disparities, including inherent biases, microaggressions, and the elements of intersectionality that unite various demographics of student-athletes.  
• Expanding College Athletics Healthcare to Have an Impact on Lifelong Outcomes – This panel discussion will examine how to expand the delivery of healthcare to collegiate athletes in order to facilitate stronger health and well-being outcomes for athletes later in life. Featured on the panel is former NFL defensive tackle Devon Still, who will speak to the methodology for navigating his own student-athlete experience at Penn State. Still is currently an Assistant Instructor at the University of Pennsylvania and co-founded the “Still Strong Foundation” with his daughter, Leah, to raise awareness for childhood cancer after her diagnosis.

Presenters & Speakers to include: 

• George Kliavkoff, Commissioner, Pac-12 Conference
• Quashan Lockett, Chief People & Inclusion Officer, Pac-12 Conference
• Leon McDougle, MD, MPH, National Medical Association Immediate Past President, Professor of Family Medicine with Tenure, Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, The Ohio State University College of Medicine; Chief Diversity Officer, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
• Miguel A. Rueda, Senior Associate AD/Health & Performance, University of Colorado; Chair, Pac-12 Student-Athlete Health and Well-Being Initiative
• Doug Aukerman, MD, MBA, Sr. Associate AD, Sports Medicine, Oregon State University; Medical Director – Sports Medicine, Samaritan Health Systems
• Edmond Baker, Jr., MD, Medical Director, Equality Health; Professor, Arizona State University; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant
• Lisa Barkley, MD, FACSM, FAAFP, FSAHM, Chair, Department of Family Medicine, Associate Professor for Family Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science
• Cheri Blauwet, MD, FACAM, Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School; Director, Kelley Adaptive Sports Research Institute
• Medell Briggs-Malonson, MD, MPH, MSHS, Chief, Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, UCLA Health
• Mac Brown, LP, CMPC, Assistant Director/Training Coordinator, University of Colorado Athletics
• Cathleen Crowell, PhD, ATC, Clinical Associate Professor, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University
• Alan G. Green, PhD, Professor of Clinical Education, Faculty Athletic Representative, USC; Co-Chair, Pac-12 imPACt Committee
• Katie Imborek, MD, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, Co-Director UI Health Care LGBTQ Clinic
• Jennifer Jacobs, MA, Educational Administration, Head Volleyball Coach, Augustana University, Inclusion Inroads Co-Founder, Intercultural Development Inventory Certified, EDD Candidate, University of Sioux Falls
• N. Nicole Jacobs, PhD, Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion and Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Nevada, Rendo School of Medicine
• Edward P. Junkins, MD, MPH, Director, University Health Services, University of Notre Dame
• Darin A. Latimore, MD, Deputy Dean, Chief Diversity Officer, Associate Professor, General Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine
• Mitchell R. Lunn, MD, MAS, FACP, FASN, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Nephrology), Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine
• Marc Norcross, PhD, ATC, Associate Professor, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University
• Oluwaferanmi Okanlami, MD, MS, Director, Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services, University of Michigan; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
• Donald E. Porter, MD, ABFP, CAQ, Sports Medicine Physician, Campus Health Service, Athletic Team Physician, Department of Athletics Instructor, Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship, Clinical Assistant Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery, Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona
• Brooke Rundle, EdD Candidate, SPP with CMHC Specialization, Founder of Headstrong Mindset, Member of Sports Equality Foundation
• Devon Still, MAPP, MBA, Assistant Instructor University of Pennsylvania, Positive Psychology Practitioner with Specialization in Child & Adolescent Well-Being
• R. Kweku Smith, PhD, LP, President of Blaquesmith Psychological Consultative Services; Senior Psychologist, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Wil Turner, III, MS, AT, Senior Associate, U.S. Council for Athletes’ Health
• Gregory J. Vincent, President, Talladega College
• Mikel Whittier, MHA, Director, Healthy Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, UCLA
• Sherree A. Wilson, PhD, Associate Vice Chancellor and Associate Dean, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis