Proud to announce the Kickoff of the next 25 Years as Health Legacy of Cleveland Celebrates 25th Anniversary.
As we open the next chapter of Health Legacy of Cleveland, we will expand our goal of educating minority Physicians and Dentist with more information on bridging the health disparity gap for minorities. Look for online updates to include seminars and newsletters to protect the health and welfare of you and your family throughout the pandemic and beyond.
Greetings from President and Chair of Health Legacy of Cleveland Ohio Inc.
We are in the process of expanding our mission to also become more activist in our approach to healthcare needs and disparities by connecting the medical expertise of our Board members to the ongoing health care challenges that are being experienced by the Black community during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. We invite your involvement, ideas and continuing support of our efforts. I look forward to working with you more in upcoming days ahead.
Sincerely Yours,
2022-2023 ACADEMIC YEAR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS FOR ELIGIBLE MEDICAL AND DENTAL SCHOOL STUDENTS
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION BEGINS FEBRUARY 2022
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for equality and human rights, the African-American medical community marched in step with this important American civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Dear Friends and Supporters
2022
Since the 2015 Health Legacy Award and Scholarship Dinner, our world has changed in ways we could not have imagined. As you may know, our black tie and other in person programs gave way to our 2017 #StayAtHome campaign. We could have never predicted that our #StayAtHome Campaign would become the theme for our country in 2020-2022 and that COVID-19 would raise our mission aimed at eliminating healthcare disparities to a national level of concern.
The impact that minority physicians can make is well documented and continues to be our mission to increase the pool of African-American dentists and physicians in northeast Ohio. We must continue to fill the HLC pipeline of students from Cleveland who attend the HBCUs of Meharry, Morehouse, Howard, and locally from Case and NEOMED.
Health Legacy of Cleveland will continue providing scholarship awards to deserving minority students that meet our criteria in pursuit of their medical or dental degrees. Our requirements also stipulate that these individuals must agree to return to practice in Cleveland.
We respectfully ask at this time for your donation of $100 or more towards our goal of $50,000 for scholarships. We hope that you will continue to support scholars through our mission and opportunities to come back to practice in northeast Ohio.
Click on the Leave Your Legacy – Donate Now buttons on this website or checks may be sent to PO Box 201519, Shaker Heights, Ohio 44120 (enclose email address)
Thank you in advance for your continued support,
Sincerely,
Giesele Robinson Greene, M.D, FACP
Board Member, Emeritus
Recognizing Dr. Charles Modlin-One of Our Own Health Legacy of Cleveland, Ohio Board Members
This month, Health Legacy of Cleveland is proud to recognize one of our long serving Board Members, Charles Modlin, MD. He has had a brilliant career in the medical field, bridging the health disparity gap for minorities. Recently, he has joined MetroHealth after more than three decades at the Cleveland Clinic, where he was Executive Director of Minority Health. Dr. Modlin is MetroHealth’s first Medical Director for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. In this role, he is part of the leadership team for diversity working with Chief Equity Officer, Alan Nievel. He is also maintaining a urology practice.
At the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Modlin became well-known for the annual Minority Men’s Health Fair he launched in 2003 to offer free health screenings and examinations to men from all racial and ethnic backgrounds.
His duties at MetroHealth include recruiting a more diverse medical staff, building a more inclusive culture and reducing disparities in health outcomes.
Dr. Modlin stated that he is excited and enthusiastic about joining MetroHealth. He is impressed by seeing the work that MetroHealth is doing in the community to address health disparities and how this phenomenal effort is having such a great impact in communities throughout Cleveland.
Dr. Modlin has spent decades tackling health disparities that disproportionately impact and burden minorities and the underserved, not only in his specialty fields of kidney transplant surgery and urology but in the broader medical world.
In March 2020 Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Dr. Modlin to serve on the Ohio Governor’s Minority Covid-19 Strike Force where he chaired the Education, Communications and Outreach Subcommittee.
According to Boulang MD, Executive Vice President, Chief Clinical Officer of The MetroHealth System, “Dr. Modlin brings a wealth of experience that will build on our current Inclusion, Diversity and Equity efforts,” “We have committed to a comprehensive Underrepresented Minority Recruitment Strategy, and one of Dr. Modlin’s key responsibilities will be to support the advancement of diverse provider talent at MetroHealth.”
We at Health Legacy of Cleveland, Ohio appreciate all of the tireless work Dr. Modlin has contributed over many decades in Cleveland. We value him as a stellar performer in the medical field and as an important contributor to the success of Health Legacy. At a recent retreat, he shared with all of our Board Members valuable information and direction that will help our organization be more successful as we enter the next chapter of 25 Years of service to the Greater Cleveland Area.
Bridging the Health Disparity Gap- As Cleveland is hard-hit by the pandemic
HEALTH LEGACY OF CLEVELAND WANTS YOU TO… GET THE SHOTS!!!
According to CDC -“Saving Lives”: “Protecting People” Dec. 20, 2021
We have the Tools to Fight Omicron
Vaccines
Vaccines remain the best public health measure to protect people from COVID-19, slow transmission, and reduce the likelihood of new variants emerging.
- COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations, and death.
- Scientists are currently investigating Omicron, including how protected fully vaccinated people will be against infection, hospitalization, and death.
- CDC recommends that everyone 5 years and older protect themselves from COVID-19 by getting fully vaccinated.
- CDC recommends that everyone ages 18 years and older should get a booster shot at least two months after their initial J&J/Janssen vaccine or six months after completing their primary COVID-19 vaccination series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.
Masks
Masks offer protection against all variants.
- CDC continues to recommend wearing a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high community transmission, regardless of vaccination status.
- CDC provides advice about masks for people who want to learn more about what type of mask is right for them depending on their circumstances.
Testing
Tests can tell you if you are currently infected with COVID-19.
- Two types of tests are used to test for current infection: nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs)and antigen tests. NAAT and antigen tests can only tell you if you have a current infection.
- Individuals can use the COVID-19 Viral Testing Tool to help determine what kind of test to seek.
o Additional tests would be needed to determine if your infection was caused by Omicron.
Board Members and Executive Officers
ARCHIVE BOARD MEMBERS PICTURE FROM 2013
LEONICIA BLUE, DMD
BILLY BROWN, MD
SONALI BUSTAMANTE WILSON, ESQ
KENNETH CHANCE, DDS
FRANCIS CURD, DDS
EDWARD HILLS, DDS
LIZ HILTON, ESQ
BESSIE HOUSE-SOREMEKUN, PhD
JAMES H. HOUSTON, DDS
CECELIA HUFFMAN-WHITE
EDGAR B JACKSON JR., ESQ
GUS KIOUS, MD
ANDRE K. MICKEL DDS, MSD
CHARLES MODLIN, MD
MAPOSURE T. MILLER, DDS
CAROL NIXON, MD
KEVIN L. PENN, CPA
MADGE POTTS-WILLIAMS, DDS
LEENA PALOMO, MD
GIESELE ROBINSON GREENE, MD
OSCAR SAFFOLD, MD (FOUNDER)
MAURICE SOREMEKUN, MD
ED WEBBER
JACKSON WRIGHT JR., MD
2022 Board Members
Karen Ashby, MD
Billy Brown, MD
Cordelia G. Harris, PhD
Liz Hilton, Esq
Bessie House-Soremekun, PhD
Andre Mickle, DDS, MSD
Charles Modlin MD
Maposure T. Miller, DDS
Lateef Saffore, PhD
Maurice Soremekun, MD
Giesele Robinson Greene, MD…..Board Member Emeritus
2022 Executive Officers
PRESIDENT/CHAIRPERSON: DR. BESSIE HOUSE SOREMEKUN
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT/CHAIRPERSON: DR. LATEEF SAFFORE
VICE PRESIDENT/VICE CHAIRPERSON: CORDELIA HARRIS, PhD
TRESURER: RODERICK ADAMS JR, DDS
SECRETARY: KAREN ASHBY, MD
Or Mail your check to:
Health Legacy of Cleveland
PO Box 201519
Shaker Heights, Ohio 44120 (enclose email address)