Stories of Hope: Radical Healthcare Solutions and the PAD Epidemic

Date: Friday, February 6, 2026
Time: 5:30 – 9:30 PM ET

Location:
Calvin Smyre Education Conference Center
Morehouse School of Medicine
Atlanta, GA

Admission: Free with RSVP

Audience: Open to health professionals, students, advocates, and the public

Event Overview
Join the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC), Morehouse School of Medicine, and partners for a powerful evening of storytelling, dialogue, and action focused on one of the most devastating—and preventable—crises in American health care: the intersection of diabetes, peripheral artery disease (PAD), and avoidable amputations in Black communities.

The program features a reception, a screening of the award-winning short documentary Bloodlines, Mississippi, and a facilitated discussion with clinicians, policymakers, filmmakers, and advocates working to end the Black American Amputation Epidemic.

ABC PAD Initiative Co-Chair Dr. Foluso Fakorede’s limb-saving work in the Mississippi Delta is prominently featured in the film, highlighting both the human cost of delayed care and the impact of community-centered, evidence-based solutions.

Welcome reception

• Screening of Bloodlines, Mississippi
  – Moderated panel discussion addressing:
  – Diabetes disparities and PAD underdiagnosis
  – Structural inequities, cardiology deserts, and insurance gaps
  – Policy, workforce, and community-based prevention strategies

• Call to action for earlier screening, equitable care, and systemic reform

Featured Participants
Panel Moderator
Dr. Millard J. Collier Jr., Primary Care Physician

Audience Moderator
Ernie Suggs, Journalist

Panelists Include:

• Dr. Anthony Fletcher, President, Association of Black Cardiologists
• Dr. Foluso Fakorede, Interventional Cardiologist & Chair, ABC PAD Initiative
• Crystal Kayiza, Director & Filmmaker
• Sen. Donzella James, Georgia State Senator
• Dr. Victor Njoku, Vascular Surgeon
• Dr. Roger A. Mitchell, President, National Medical Association
• Judge Penny Brown Reynolds, Candidate for Georgia Secretary of State
• Dr. Gregg J. Williams, Podiatric & Limb Preservation Surgeon

About the Film
Bloodlines, Mississippi is directed by award-winning filmmaker Crystal Kayiza and produced by Grain Media. The film is presented in collaboration with Nobel Prize Outreach and examines the intertwined histories of race, medicine, and family legacy in the American South—spotlighting the Black American Amputation Epidemic and the urgent need for equitable, preventive cardiovascular care.

Who Should Attend
This event is open to health professionals, students, advocates, and the public.

Special callout:
Students and health professionals across the Atlanta Metro Area are strongly encouraged to attend. This is a unique opportunity to engage directly with national leaders in cardiology, policy, and storytelling—and to explore how clinical practice, policy, and community action intersect in the fight against preventable limb loss.

Hosted & Presented By
Morehouse School of Medicine, Association of Black Cardiologists, Atlanta Medical Association, BronzeLens, Georgia State Medical Association, and the National Medical Association Podiatric Section