Black Liver Health Initiative

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Despite a higher prevalence of chronic liver disease in the Black community, Black individuals in the U.S. are less likely to receive adequate care. Our Center is committed to addressing racial healthcare inequity, and in partnership with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine, we have developed the Black Liver Health Initiative to decrease transplant disparities.

Chronic liver disease is the ninth leading cause of death among Black Americans. Black men are 60% more likely to have liver cancer than white men and Black women are 40% more likely to die from liver cancer than white women. Further, Black individuals are less likely to receive an accurate and timely diagnosis and are unlikely to be referred to a specialist for treatment.

About The Program

In response to these significant issues, we are developing an initiative to explore opportunities for engaging and promoting liver healthcare equity through partnership and by listening to the Black Community. We are working to address the causes of these disparities by providing better access to care, furthering health literacy, advancing policy and research, and earning trust in our providers.

Access To Care:

  • Expand clinical outreach to include underserved minority neighborhoods
  • Support community providers in order to decrease the length of time it takes for Black patients to receive a specialty referral.

Health Literacy:

  • Use culturally competent strategies to increase awareness about liver disease
  • Offer knowledge about liver disease treatment options

Advancement & Research:

  • Engage in research that is specific to liver disease and the Black population
  • Decrease barriers to liver transplantation through policy changes

Earning Trust:

  • Have ongoing internal cultural competency trainings for medical providers and staff

The Team

Nicole Golden, DNP, FNP-BC
Co-Founder, Black Liver Health Initiative
Nurse Practitioner, Adult Liver Transplant
Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, CUIMC

Monica Nelson-Kone, BSN, RN
Co-Founder, Black Liver Health Initiative
Liver Transplant Coordinator
Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, CUIMC

Veronica Roye, DNP, FNP-BC
Co-Founder, Black Liver Health Initiative
Adult Liver Transplant Coordinator
Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, CUIMC

Jean Emond, MD
Vice Chair, Department of Surgery
Chief of Transplantation Services
Executive Director, Transplant Initiative, New York-Presbyterian, CUIMC

Lorna Dove, MD, MPH
Director of Clinical Hepatology
Medical Director, Adult Liver Transplant
Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, CUIMC

Akhil Shenoy, MD, MPH
Director of Transplant Psychiatry
Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, CUIMC

Elizabeth Verna, MD, MS
Director of Clinical Research, Transplant Clinical Research Center
Director of Hepatology Research, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases
Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, CUIMC

Julia Wattacheril, MD, MPH
Director of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Program
Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, CUIMC

Moury Minhaz, BS
Clinical Research Manager
Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, CUIMC

Eleonore Baughan, BS
Clinical Research Coordinator
Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, CUIMC

Brittney Destin, BS
Clinical Research Coordinator
Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, CUIMC

Catherine Lucero, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Internal Medicine, WCM

Russell Rosenblatt, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Internal Medicine, WCM

Chris Alexander, MBA, MA
Senior Director of Digital Communications and Brand Experience
School of Global Public Health, NYU

Past Events