“Affordable Care Act: Access, Prevention & Career Opportunities”

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. - Sept. 13, 2013 - PRLog -- How often have you asked yourself what is the new  Healthcare Act all about and how will it affect me and my family?  Well, Sister to Sister International’s upcoming Healthy Weekend Extravaganza, will provide you a good “dose” of information on this important subject and it will be – just what the doctor ordered!
The theme for the Annual Sister to Sister International, Healthy Weekend Extravaganza is the “Affordable Care Act (ACA): Access Prevention, and Career Opportunities.”  Cheryl Brannan, Sister to Sister International, Founder & CEO, said “An Affordable Care Act has been a long-time coming and I believe it will be very beneficial, especially related to the free prevention services that it offers for women,  along with so many other critical offerings for good health and longevity.  Now more than ever we must make sure that all of our family, friends and members of the community understand and are maximizing health care services. I believe the ACA will be a major benefit to communities of color and indeed, the U.S., overall.”

The Healthy Weekend will kick-off on Friday, September 14^th, with a “Healthy Roadshow.” Ted Young Community Center,  located at 32 Manhattan Avenue, Greenburgh, N.Y.  from 10am – 4:00 pm,  featuring free health screenings, including: HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, blood pressure, glucose, vision, waist measurement  and much more.  These services will be provided in collaboration with our community partners including Commissioner Bill Carter, the Westchester County Department of Health and the Greenburgh Community Health Center.

The crown jewel of the weekend is the 19^th Annual Health Symposium & Expo being held on Saturday, September 14^th, 9:00 – 5:00 pm at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.  It will be an informative, fun and great networking opportunity!  The symposium will further educate and empower the community on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with featured Morning Keynote Speaker Dr. Michelle S. Davis, Regional Health Administrator with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) New York Regional Office. Dr. Davis is an accomplished health management administrator, who will provide an overview of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) including provisions to keep health care costs low, promote prevention, and hold insurance companies accountable.  She will also, review how the ACA supports the 250 million Americans who already have health care coverage, whether through private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.

"Too many women are dying unnecessarily due to the fact that they are not fully aware of their healthcare needs and the resources available,” says Dr. Suzanne Greenidge, owner of Woman to Woman Ob/Gynecologists in Yonkers, and STSI’s Health Symposium Co- Chairperson

An afternoon Medical Doctors Panel entitled “ACA: Prevention is the Key” will be moderated by Dr. Suzanne Greenidge, and feature Dr. Oni Blackstock, Assistant Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Dr. Brenda Aiken Thompson, MD Director for Medical Services at Columbia University and Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. They will cover ACA access information on important health screenings and preventative measures related to HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and more.

Other esteemed symposium presenters include noted Attorney, Gail Wright Sirmans, Esq. and Jan Cook, Esq., who will review the Family Medical Leave Act, The Americans with Disabilities Act, Health Care Proxies and more.  AARP will also sponsor an informative financial planning workshop including planning for college, retirement and good future financial heath

Healthy Weekend sponsors include: Mercy College, AARP, Brannan Solutions Group, Dannon, Entergy, State Farm, Woman to Woman Obstetrics & Gynecology, Congressman Eliot Engel, Kingdom Christian Cultural Center, Westchester Black Nurses Assn., Colgate, Barksdale Health Care Services, Lower Hudson Valley Perinatal Network and the Westchester County Press.

Sister to Sister International, Inc. (STSI) is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization established in 1994, that links womenand girls of African descent globally, to the resources that connect, advance and strengthens them. We do this through advocacy, education and the promotion of African culture.  Developing healthy lifestyles is a cornerstone of the organization.  Our primary areas of focus include Health and Wellness, Education and Global Affairs.  Sister to Sister International holds Special Consultative Status to the U.N. Economic and Social Council and has supported various global health initiatives including  very successful “Mamma Kit” and “Sisters Beating the Odds & Claiming Wellness” Campaigns.