Track 1

Pathway to Care and Community: Championing Change at an Organizational Level

10:15 AM-11:10 AM

Sessions

Pathways to Health: Employers' Role in Encouraging Care Access VUB 1

What's this panel about?

This panel will explore how local employers are tackling systemic barriers, redesigning workplace benefits, and centering equity in their organizational strategies. Panelists will share concrete examples of what’s working, lessons learned from challenges, and opportunities for collective action among employers, community organizations, and policymakers.

Moderator:

Riikka Salonen,

BCT Partners

Panelists:

Sesany Fennie-Jones

CEO, Council for The Homeless

Brittini Lasseigne

CEO, YWCA

Leann M. Caver

CEO, C-TRAN

VUB 121 | (in between lightning talks)
Community Asset Map
Talia Goldenburg, Luca Artz, and Ida Shapiro, Willamette University Students

Looking for culturally competent care in Portland and SW Washington? This poster brings healthcare access to life with a community-built map of BIPOC providers. Stop by to see how data turns into direction—and how you can use this tool to find trusted, culturally responsive care.

VUB 121 | 10:20 AM (Be sure to check out the Community Asset Map poster after)
SWACHs HealthConnect Hub
Michelle Ahmed, Director of HealthConnect at SWACH, Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health

When healthcare systems, housing supports, food programs, and community voices come together—lives change. The HealthConnect Hub is breaking barriers in Southwest Washington, coordinating medical and non-medical supports through a network of culturally competent community health workers. Learn how this adaptable, community-centered model is reshaping equity and resilience for women, families, and entire regions.

VUB 121 | 10:40 AM
Introducing TeamBirth at Legacy Health: Redefining the Birth Experience
Tae-Sun Kim, Legacy Health’s Chief Diversity Officer

Rachael Waas Shull, Staff RN, Charge RN, Clinical Nurse Educator and interim Assistant Nurse Manager

Amanda Trujillo, Quality Improvement Consultant

Legacy Health Birth Centers have joined the more than 150 hospitals nationwide who have implemented TeamBirth, a patient-centered communication program designed to improve the labor and delivery experience while reducing disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity rates between Black, Native American and white women. This talk will briefly describe their journey.

VUB 125 | 10:20 AM
From Institutional Harm to Institutional Change: How Women of Color Entrepreneurs Are Transforming Women's Health Care
Lauren M, Women's Health Equity Advocate

Discover how women of color entrepreneurs are rewriting the future of women’s health! This lightning talk spotlights bold companies like Mahmee, Delfina Care, and Health in Her HUE—leaders who are breaking free from harmful systems and building care models rooted in trust, cultural competency, and lived experience. Walk away with actionable solutions that communities can demand right now.

VUB 125 | 10:40 AM
Successfully Flourishing Nurses
Violet Larry, Alliance of Black Nurses Association of Oregon

Come see how the Alliance of Black Nurses Association of Oregon (ABNAO) is igniting the future of nursing! From sparking joy in 3rd–6th graders and inspiring high school students to mentoring new and seasoned nurses, ABNAO is building pathways, representation, and community power for the Black nursing workforce in the Pacific Northwest.

Track 2

Pathway to
Culturally-Rooted Healing

11:15 AM-12:10 PM

Sessions

VUB 121 (11:20 AM)
The Power of Culturally Grounded Care: Strengthening Families, Advancing Equity
Gemma-Noelani Somol, Mother's Tribe- Doula

Birth can be a moment of power—not fear. Join doula Gemma-Noelani Somol to explore how culturally grounded doula care strengthens families, improves maternal outcomes, and reclaims equity in birth. From mentorship and outreach to trauma-informed practices, this session shows how doulas of color are reshaping care and why their work is essential for thriving families and communities.

VUB 121 (11:40 AM)
Centering holistic healing for Black, Indigenous & People of Color
Lai-Lani Ovalles, Chief of People & Culture, Black Pearl Wellness
Sita Symonette, LAc, MAcOM
Licensed Acupuncturist, Co-Founder, CEO & Clinic Director at Black Pearl Wellness

Step into the world of Black Pearl Wellness, where acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, and naturopathic care are re-imagined for BIPOC and Queer communities. This lightning talk reveals how culturally responsive holistic healing empowers patients with choices, safety, and belonging. Hear how a vision rooted in community is transforming health outcomes and creating space to heal—together.

Available in room 121, Continuing the theme of "Culturally-Congruent Care"

VUB 121
Culturally Specific Care for Pasifika Peoples
Johanna Inoke, Pacific Islander Health Board of Washington

What does equitable healthcare look like for Pasifika communities? This poster highlights barriers, solutions, and cultural insights that bridge gaps in care. Come learn how providers and communities can come together to honor Pasifika traditions and improve outcomes.

VUB 121
Patient Centered Obstetrical Care: Learning From Cultural and Traditional Practice
Trinity Wood & Lauren Duffy, Medical Students, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine

From la cuarentena to zuo yue zi, cultural practices around birth carry wisdom we can learn from. This poster shows how honoring traditions across African, Asian, and Hispanic communities creates more respectful, patient-centered obstetrical care. Explore how blending tradition and medicine empowers birthing people and improves outcomes.

VUB 126
Strategies for Career Advancement for Women in the Workplace- (Tentative)
Dr. Falguni Shah, PhD, NCC, LCPC, CHCEF

(Tentatively Scheduled) This session will explore practical strategies women can use to advance their careers and break through barriers in the workplace. Participants will learn how to strengthen their leadership presence, negotiate with confidence, and build meaningful networks of support. Through reflection and actionable tools, attendees will leave with a clear roadmap to elevate their visibility, influence, and long-term success.

VUB 122
Recognizing the Women of War Among Us: Unseen Local Impacts of Ukraine's Fight to Exist
Valentina Pishchanskaya-Cayanan
LMFT, VP DAWN INC, Co-Owner Clarity Therapy Solutions

War doesn’t just live overseas—it lives in the bodies and stories of women among us. This session uncovers the silent suffering of local Ukrainian women navigating displacement, trauma, and cultural stigma. Learn how to recognize these hidden impacts and provide trauma-informed, dignity-centered care that truly heals.

VUB 124
BIPOC Paramedics of Portland
Nicholas Hayes, BIPOC Paramedics of Portland

The CEO BIPOC Paramedics of Portland, he has created the first (and only) BIPOC-focused EMS scholarship. Come learn about the nonprofit and the scholarship used to recruit more women into the field.

VUB 125
Restoring Trust: Healing Racial & Gender-Based Trauma in Healthcare & Reclaiming Our Power
Sheena Hardy, President, The Melanated Network

Too many Black women are dismissed, disbelieved, and harmed in healthcare. Sheena Hardy shares her story of medical negligence and community resilience—and calls us to action. This powerful session offers strategies for rebuilding trust, co-creating safe care, and reclaiming power in systems that have failed us.

Track 3

Pathway to a Sustainable Future

12:15 PM-1:10 PM

VUB 126
A Path to Climate & Health Adaptation
Almendra Velazquez-Perez, Fourth Plain Forward, Senior Climate and Health Coordinator

Climate change is a health issue—and communities are rising to meet it. This poster showcases how the Fourth Plain community is tackling heat, air quality, food access, and green space with equity-centered strategies. See how grassroots action is shaping resilience and justice for generations to come.

VUB 107
Data to action: Addressing prenatal care access gaps for Medicaid (Apple Health) clients in Clark County, WA
Hayley Pickus, Family Initiatives Coordinator at Clark County Public Health
Adiba Ali, MPH, Epidemiologist

Too many families on Medicaid can’t access the prenatal care they need—and babies pay the price. This session reveals the data behind Clark County’s prenatal care gaps and offers policy strategies to fix them. Join the conversation on how we can ensure every pregnancy gets the healthy start it deserves.

VUB 125
Daring to Dismantle: Curating, Cultivating, and Creating Justice and Healing Spaces for Trauma-Informed Care
Dr. Debra Jenkins, Share Flame (FEATURED AUTHOR)

Hear from "Daring to Dismantle" author as she discusses real life experience, and personalized strategies that map out how to heal and dismantle oppressive systems one layer at a time. Daring to Dismantle offers a framework, language, and strategies to challenge America’s racial color-caste system, especially as it relates to betrayal trauma.

VUB 121
Addressing the Future Washington Physician Workforce Needs Through Mission-Aligned Admissions Strategies
Leila Harris, Vice Dean for Admissions, Student Affairs, and Alumni Engagement

Who we admit to medical school shapes who receives care tomorrow. This session explores how WSU is aligning admissions with equity, bringing in students from rural, underrepresented, and marginalized backgrounds. Learn how these strategies are building a more representative physician workforce—and what that means for women’s health outcomes across Washington.

VUB 124 | 12:25 PM
Financial Empowerment: Community-Input on Needed Education and Programs
Amy Reeves, VP / SW Washington Area Manager,
OnPoint Community Credit Union

Discuss your community needs in terms of financial literacy services and programs. Learn about the financial programs and services offered through Onpoint to secure savings and home ownership.

VUB 126 | 12:25PM
Your Voice, Your Future: Impacting Change Using the Environmental Health Disparities Map
Claudine Richardson, Community Engagement Strategist,
WA Department of Health

This session is opened to activists and general community advocates. Not open to Leader pass holders. Your voice is critical in influencing change in Washington. The Environmental Health Disparities (EHD) Map serves as a tool to display where communities are and how your communities are impacted. Nevertheless, it’s only useful with your input. Between June 2024 to June 2025, significant community engagement was done, hosting 69 listening sessions, 8 roundtables, and reaching over 1,553 community members. Join us to learn about the EHD Map, information shared from participants in your area, and share your lived experiences across the state of Washington.

Equity and Accountability Panel

A weighing in from different field perspectives

2:15 PM-3:00 PM

Topics

This panel brings together advocates whose work spans grassroots organizing, clinical care, environmental health strategy, mentorship, and policy reform to explore how we:

Share accountability across healthcare, advocacy, and policy systems.
Collaborate effectively, closing silos while honoring the leadership of community voices.
Turn movement into lasting momentum, ensuring long-term impact through community-rooted solutions.

Attendees will gain insights into building partnerships, navigating power dynamics, and sustaining systemic change. The discussion sets the stage for an immersive workshop that invites participants to co-design interventions aligned with the summit’s core themes of equity, healing, and flourishing.

VUB 1 | 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM
Equity and Accountability, Partners Panel

Women in Clark County—and beyond—experience persistent health inequities shaped by systemic barriers like medical bias, culturally incongruent care, environmental injustice, and economic disparities. Addressing these challenges demands collective accountability, cross-sector collaboration, and sustainable momentum.

Community Action Groups

Launch Future Collaborations

3:10 PM-4:00 PM

Launching of Community Action Groups

The Community Action Group segment of the summit is designed to foster new connections and collaboration among summit attendees in the area that inspires them the most. Attendees will connect with nonprofit leaders, academics, activists, and other organizations to ideate collaborative projects that can be carried out from January to September of the following year. First meeting notes and contact information will be made available to attendees who are willing to participate.

Potential Seed Funding for Project Groups formed at the Summit

By December, based on funding availability, we will ask willing members to reconnect with their groups to refine at least one of the projects discussed at the summit. We will also open up a seed-funding application portal where project proposals can be submitted.

In December, we will notify three to five approved project groups.

In January, we will meet with the selected groups to award funding, launch projects, and follow up with them on a monthly basis through progress check-ins. Seed funding can be applied to project team stipends and project-related costs outlined in the proposal's budget.

Awarded Community Action Groups will be invited to present on their experience at next year's summit.

VUB 121 | 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Pathways to Nourishment (Food Access and Nutrition)
Community/ Urban Garden Spaces, Education, Food Boxes

A recommended change in diet usually accompanies the list of health interventions, but what can we do when unhealthy food is more affordable, we don't have the time to cook, or we don't know how to prepare healthy meals with our limited food options?

What skills can we be exchanging to get healthy foods into our homes? What foods can we grow at home or in community gardens to reduce food costs and enhance our diets?

For those of us on reduced SNAP benefits, how can we make those benefits stretch while still reducing our consumption of processed foods?

VUB 122 | 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM

Pathways of Promise

Diversifying the Medical Workforce

Projects-relevant Goals:

Build stronger conversations and partnerships between medical schools and community programs to open doors for students and young professionals from marginalized communities, thereby increasing diverse representation in medicine.

How do we recruit and retain more underrepresented women in the medical workforce?

How do we start this at the college entry level and carry it through the early career phase?

What type of mentorship and wraparound services could we work together to provide?

How can we ensure our communities are aware of and have access to these resources through concerted, intentional, collective efforts?

VUB 124 | 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM

Pathways to Stability

Customizing Financial Education and Improving Access to Homeownership/ Home stabilizing programs

Projects-relevant Goals:

Enhance efforts to promote Savings programs, Financial literacy, and Homeownership education to increase engagement among women, so that they are financially empowered to make comprehensive progress in areas that impact their health and life expectancy.

VUB 107 | 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM

Pathways to Workplace Wins for Women

Strategies for integrating healthier lifestyles incentives, and health-centered policies for women in the workplace

Projects-relevant Goals:

Help women advocate for workplace policies that support self-care and health goals—demonstrating that a healthy workforce is a stronger, more productive one. Encourage a culture where maintaining health is seen as a top priority, not a luxury.

VUB 126 | 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM

Pathways to Healing Traditions

Supporting Access to Holistic, Culturally Aligned Care Providers

Projects-relevant Goals:

Expand access to culturally significant and holistic approaches to women’s health by increasing outreach, education, and awareness of existing services, and by promoting providers who offer culturally and racially aligned care.
Support women of color who provide holistic health services by helping them connect with and reach more clients.

Track 1

Pathway to Care and Community: Championing Change at an Organizational Level

10:15 AM-11:10 AM

Sessions

Pathways to Health: Employers' Role in Encouraging Care Access VUB 1

Track 2

Pathway to Culturally-Rooted Healing

11:15 AM-12:10 PM

Sessions

VUB 121 (11:20 AM) The Power of Culturally Grounded Care: Strengthening Families, Advancing Equity Gemma-Noelani Somol, Mother's Tribe- Doula

VUB 121 (11:40 AM) Centering holistic healing for Black, Indigenous & People of Color Lai-Lani Ovalles, Chief of People & Culture, Black Pearl Wellness Sita Symonette, LAc, MAcOM Licensed Acupuncturist, Co-Founder, CEO & Clinic Director at Black Pearl Wellness

Track 3

Pathway to a Sustainable Future

12:15 PM-1:10 PM

VUB 107 Data to action: Addressing prenatal care access gaps for Medicaid (Apple Health) clients in Clark County, WA Hayley Pickus, Family Initiatives Coordinator at Clark County Public Health Adiba Ali, MPH, Epidemiologist

VUB 125 Daring to Dismantle: Curating, Cultivating, and Creating Justice and Healing Spaces for Trauma-Informed Care Dr. Debra Jenkins, Share Flame (FEATURED AUTHOR)

VUB 121 Addressing the Future Washington Physician Workforce Needs Through Mission-Aligned Admissions Strategies Leila Harris, Vice Dean for Admissions, Student Affairs, and Alumni Engagement

Equity and Accountability Panel

A weighing in from different field perspectives

2:15 PM-3:00 PM

VUB 1 | 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM Equity and Accountability, Partners Panel

Community Action Groups

Launch Future Collaborations

3:10 PM-4:00 PM

Launching of Community Action Groups

Pathway to
Culturally-Rooted Healing

VUB 121 (11:20 AM)
The Power of Culturally Grounded Care: Strengthening Families, Advancing Equity
Gemma-Noelani Somol, Mother's Tribe- Doula

VUB 121 (11:40 AM)
Centering holistic healing for Black, Indigenous & People of Color
Lai-Lani Ovalles, Chief of People & Culture, Black Pearl Wellness
Sita Symonette, LAc, MAcOM
Licensed Acupuncturist, Co-Founder, CEO & Clinic Director at Black Pearl Wellness

VUB 107
Data to action: Addressing prenatal care access gaps for Medicaid (Apple Health) clients in Clark County, WA
Hayley Pickus, Family Initiatives Coordinator at Clark County Public Health
Adiba Ali, MPH, Epidemiologist

VUB 125
Daring to Dismantle: Curating, Cultivating, and Creating Justice and Healing Spaces for Trauma-Informed Care
Dr. Debra Jenkins, Share Flame (FEATURED AUTHOR)

VUB 121
Addressing the Future Washington Physician Workforce Needs Through Mission-Aligned Admissions Strategies
Leila Harris, Vice Dean for Admissions, Student Affairs, and Alumni Engagement

VUB 1 | 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM
Equity and Accountability, Partners Panel