Black Health Summit 2026

Join Us for Black Health Summit 2026

The Health Foundation of South Florida proudly presents the Black Health Summit 2026, now in its fifth year, a full day of conversation, connection, and action dedicated to advancing health equity and improving well-being across South Florida’s Black communities.

The 2026 Summit will bring together an anticipated audience of 300+ participants from across the full spectrum of healthcare, public health, community organizations, philanthropy, policy, education, and business. The program is built around five powerful sessions, each designed to advance trust and equity and drive transformation in Black health across South Florida.

This is more than a gathering; it’s a call to action to build healthier communities across our region.

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 – Admission is free

8:00 AM – 3:15 PM

Charles F. Dodge City Center, 601 City Center Way, Pembroke Pines, FL 33025

*The Charles F. Dodge City Center is located just minutes north of Miami Gardens and is easily accessible via the Florida Turnpike and I-75.

Keynote Speaker: Roger A. Mitchell, Jr., MD

Our keynote speaker is Roger A. Mitchell, Jr., MD, President of the National Medical Association, the oldest and largest national organization representing African American physicians and their patients.

A nationally recognized physician, forensic pathologist, leader, and advocate, Dr. Mitchell will frame the national and local forces shaping Black health today. His remarks will anchor three themes that will run throughout the entire Summit:

1. Rebuilding trust in healthcare systems.

2. Ensuring accurate and culturally relevant health information reaches communities.

3. Inspiring the next generation of leaders and advocates.

Session 1: From TikTok to Trust: How Social Media is Shaping Black Health

Your feed might be the most powerful health tool you have, if you know who to trust. This panel examines how a new generation of clinicians and public health voices is meeting Black communities where they are, rebuilding trust one post at a time.

Moderator:

Calvin Hughes

Emmy Award-Winning Anchor, WPLG Local 10 Miami

Panelists:

Monica Carter, MS, FNP-BC

Family Nurse Practitioner & OB/GYN Clinician, Washington, D.C.

Michael H. Forde, DrPH, MSPH

Public Health Expert, NIH Alumnus & Digital Educator

Michelle A. Kirwan, MD, FAAP

Board-certified pediatrician who served as Chief Medical Officer of a Federally Qualified Health Center in Miami Gardens

Session 2: Informed and Engaged: Reimagining the Future of Healthcare

What becomes possible when a patient is truly informed, and a health system is genuinely engaged? Drawing from nearly three decades of clinical and executive leadership, Dr. Pyke offers a roadmap for transformation built on trust, communication, and community partnership.

Featured Guest:

O’Neil J. Pyke, MD, MBA, SFHM

Chief Medical Officer, Jackson North Medical Center

Author, Informed and Engaged: Our Journey to Better Health

Moderator:

M. Sandra Severe, PhD, MP

Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, Jackson North Medical Center

Session 3: Lessons from the Field: Advancing Black Health Equity in South Florida

Strategy without community is just a plan. A community without a strategy is just effort. This session is where the two meet, a firsthand account of what becomes possible when investment, trust, and partnership keep showing up, Summit after Summit, year after year.

Moderator:

Janisse Schoepp, PhD., MPH

Chief Strategy Officer, Health Foundation of South Florida

Panelists:

Melissa P. Dunn, MBA

Commissioner, City of Lauderhill

Armen Henderson, MD, MBA

UM General Internal Medicine Faculty Member & Founder, Dade County Street Response

Katherine Chung, MD, MPH

Chief Community Research Officer, at Health Choice Network

Catherine Toms, MD, MPH

President, Green Cars For Kids

Session 4: Beyond the Clinic: Sport, Music, and Economic Empowerment as a Black Youth Health Strategy

The most powerful interventions in Black youth health may not be happening inside hospitals or clinics, but on soccer pitches, in recording studios, and in classrooms where young people are building their economic futures. This panel examines how sport, music, and economic empowerment are being engineered as serious public health strategies for Black children and adolescents.

Moderator:

Matthew Anderson

Executive Director, Mosaic Miami

Panelists:

Laurie Sallarulo

President & CEO, Junior Achievement of South Florida

Ed Foster-Simeon

President & CEO, U.S. Soccer Foundation

Tiffany “Tif Boom” Lusan

Regional Director, Guitars Over Guns

For more information, visit hfsf.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact [email protected]