ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Dr. Rachel Levine, who as the first transgender person approved by the U.S. Senate served as U.S. assistant health secretary, will be keynote speaker for Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center's annual health summit.
Also speaking will be Adrian Shanker, who founded Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in 2014 and later was the U.S. Health and Human Services' deputy assistant secretary for health policy.
The Health Bradbury-Sullivan Health Summit will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. June 3 at Mack Experience Center, 2402 Lehigh Parkway South, Allentown.Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center release
The Bradbury-Sullivan Health Summit will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. June 3 at Mack Experience Center, 2402 Lehigh Parkway South, Allentown.
It will be the first time the summit has been in person since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The free health summit will offer featuring expert speakers and findings from the 2024 PA LGBTQ Health Needs Assessment.
"The summit provides vital information to healthcare providers, public health professionals and legislators," Bradbury-Sullivan said in a release.
'Share critical information'
The summit's sub-theme will be “Our Health Matters” and presenters will cover a variety of topics that impact the health and wellness of the LGBTQIA+ community in Pennsylvania.
It's intended "to share critical information on the health and wellness needs of LGBTQIA+ Pennsylvanians," according to the summit website, where free registration is available.
Bradbury Sullivan is "honored to have Dr. Levine join us to speak at the summit."Bradbury Sullivan Interim Executive Director Krista Brown-Ly
Levine served as the 17th U.S. Assistant Health Secretary from 2021-25, and was the first transgender person to receive U.S. Senate confirmation.
Levine also served as admiral of the United States Public Health Service and as Pennsylvania’s Physician General and Secretary of Health.
Shanker was executive director of Bradbury-Sullivan's LGBT Community Center 2014-22 and during that time, with the state health department, co-created the biannual Pennsylvania LGBTQ Health Needs Assessment.
At the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, he was senior advisor on LGBTQI+ health equity.
"We are excited to bring this statewide conference to Allentown for the first time to present the data collected from the 2024 PA LGBTQ+ Health Needs Assessment," Shanker said.
"This survey, taken by thousands of LGBTQIA+ Pennsylvanian’s biennially, covers many aspects of health and well-being from mental health to tobacco use to basic needs."
Bradbury Sullivan Interim Executive Director Krista Brown-Ly said in a release it is "honored to have Dr. Levine join us to speak at the summit."
