About Us
A Proven, Sustainable, and Scalable Model to Address Health Equity in the Black Community through the Black Church
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Create a network of Black Churches – the most trusted institutions in the community – that are committed to addressing health equity
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Establish and sustain a faith-based health workforce to address COVID-19 through testing/vaccination, promote wellness, address health equity and ensure pandemic preparedness in the community
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Collaborate with local healthcare organizations with a vested interest in providing support to underserved communities
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Deliver measurable and sustainable impact that drives health equity and a decrease in morbidity and mortality in the communities served
A critical part of the Choose Healthy Life Action Plan is the establishment of the National Black Clergy Health Leadership Council (NBCHLC) which serves as the driving force among leading Black Clergy across the country to engage in community outreach to address health disparities in the Black community.
The Council is focused on supporting and achieving the goals of the Choose Healthy Life Action Plan, which are as follows:
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Significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Black community.
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Lower morbidity and mortality rates from COVID-19 in the Black community.
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Demonstrate the effectiveness of the program for use in other cities.
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Demonstrate the effectiveness of the programmatic approach to address health conditions and improve health outcomes in the Black community, especially for uninsured or underinsured populations.
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Pursue and secure additional funding sources to sustain current program and future expansion.
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Advocate for changes in policies that will positively impact efforts to address health disparities.
The black church is considered to be among the most trusted institutions in the Black community and the National Black Clergy Health Leadership Council brings together Black clergy leaders across the nation to advocate on behalf of their respective communities. Specifically, the NBCHLC has as its charge to do the following:
Raise Awareness – the council must be at the center of raising awareness on the health issues facing the community
Conduct Community Outreach – the council must lead the effort to educate and provide the resources to ensure health support services are provided to their respective communities
Advocate for Support – the council must come together to advocate for additional and sustained support to address health disparities
MARCELLA NUNEZ-SMITH, MD, MHS
Assoc. Dean, Health Equity Research
Yale School of Medicine
FATIMA STANFORD, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA
Obesity Medicine & Nutrition Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Medical School
