14th Annual Health Equity Symposium - 2026

DAY 1 - Thursday, October 29: IN-PERSON

9:00 AM - Registration, Breakfast & Networking

9:30 AM - Symposium Opening & Welcome

speakers: Joshua Travis; Julius Pryor III

9:45 AM - Featured Welcome: Cook County Clerk

speaker: CLERK Monica Gordon

10:00 AM – Morning Keynote Address

SPEAKERS: Sharon A. Williams

11:00 AM - Oncology & Cancer Care Panel

SPEAKERS: dr. Vijayakrishna “VK” Gadi; Anand Reddi

12:00 PM - Lunch & Networking

virtual program - Park Forest Revisiting Utopia

1:00 PM – Afternoon Featured Address

Speaker: Wendy Thompson

1:35 PM – Brain Health Panel

SpeakerS: John R. Dwyer Jr.; Dr. Neelum T. Aggarwal; Delia Jervier

2:35 PM – Afternoon Featured Address

SPEAKER:

3:00 PM – Elected Leadership and the Future of Healthcare

SPEAKERS:

4:00 PM – Day One Closing Keynote Address

SPEAKER:

DAY 2 - Friday, October 30: IN-PERSON

9:00 AM - Breakfast, Networking & Arrival

9:30 AM - Day 2: Opening & Welcome

speakers: Joshua Travis, Julius Pryor III

9:45 AM - Featured Welcome Address

SPEAKER:

10:00 AM - Women in Medicine Presentation

Speaker:

11:00 AM - Morning Keynote Address

Speaker:

12:00 PM - Lunch & Networking

VIRTUAL PRESENTATION BY DR. Eugene Manley

1:00 PM - Generations in Healthcare Panel

Speaker:

2:00 PM - Black Women in Healthcare & Leadership Panel

SpeakerS: Vanessa Smith; DR. Cheryl Beal Anderson; Erickajoy Daniels; DR. Benée Brown; La Toya McClellan

3:15 PM - Closing Keynote

Speaker: Ricki Fairley

Please join us for the Closing Reception & Networking to connect with fellow attendees, continue the conversation, and conclude the event together from 4 PM.