Our April Timely Topic is about the Intersection of Race, Stress, and Health. Many health conditions impact African Americans and Hispanic/Latinx populations more than their White counterparts. Why is it that some racial and ethnic groups suffer higher rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, and mortality from certain cancers? Why are Black babies and moms more likely to die during or before childbirth than their White counterparts? There are many reasons, some known and some unknown.
Join us as we explore some of these issues, including the role that stress plays in the health status and health outcomes of African Americans and other people of color.
About Our Presenters
Regina Petteway, MSPH, is a retired human services administrator and public health educator. She has over 47 years of experience at the private nonprofit, and local and state government levels. Before retirement she was Wake County Human Services Director, responsible for public health and social services leadership in a department of 1600 employees in 17 locations in Wake County. During her tenure, the Medicaid processing rate improved from around 60% to 98%, along with major improvements to public health clinical service delivery. Many lasting partnerships were built across the county, focusing on improving the health and wellness of people and communities.
Ms. Petteway is a member of Saint Paul AME Church; the Raleigh Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; The Raleigh Chapter of Chums, Inc.; and The Raleigh/Apex NAACP. She is currently on the Board of Directors for The Hope Center at Pullen, focusing on providing support to young people navigating the foster care system. She is also on the Board of Directors for Urban Ministries. Married with one adult daughter, she considers Raleigh her “forever home."
Michelle Laws, PhD, is the Chief Experience Officer for the North Carolina Medical Society, leading the Society’s communications and member services teams. In March 2020, Dr. Laws joined the HHS COVID19 Emergency Response Team to help lead the Historically Marginalized Populations (HMP) Workgroup. In this role, she helped to guide the Department’s work in improving health outcomes for historically marginalized populations during the pandemic. Previously she has held leadership positions in various state and nonprofit agencies.
Dr. Laws has been widely recognized nationally and internationally as a passionate advocate for marginalized and underserved populations, including women and children living in poverty, the homeless, justice-involved youth, veterans, and persons with mental illness and substance use disorders. She has earned respect from diverse communities of peers, colleagues, and policy makers as a politically astute and diplomatic leader, operating in various capacities, including policy, public affairs, advocacy, and health and human services program development and evaluation. Dr. Laws’ service to the community has won her numerous awards and honors; she says, “I consider myself as a servant leader. I firmly believe that ‘service is indeed the price we pay for occupying our space on this earth.’ Awards and recognition are nice, but being able to serve in positions that have allowed me to be a voice and advocate for those who have been ignored, excluded, or disregarded is a much grander aspiration.”