Amid Growing Threats to Healthcare Access, HEiTC Leadership to Host Powerful Discussion on the Pathway to Lifting More Barriers at National Action Network Annual Convention

(New York, NY, March 25, 2025) – Leaders of HEiTC, the Health Equity in Transplantation Coalition, will convene on the first day of the National Action Network Annual Convention in New York City, on Wednesday, April 2nd, to discuss how the nation can lift historic barriers to healthcare in general but especially on issues of transplantation.

The panel – which will focus on the state of healthcare as well as its impacts on Black America – will feature HEiTC Executive Chairman Al B. Sure!, Co-Founder Rachel Noerdlinger, Senior Advisors Rev. Al Sharpton, Jennifer Jones Austin, and NYC Council Member Justin Brannan, as well as hip hop artist and advocate Freeway. The conversation is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Sheraton New York Times Square, where Rev. Sharpton will gather thousands of NAN members to hear from leaders in Civil Rights, business, government, academia and other fields on the most pressing issues in Black America.

Health is of course one of the foundational issues before these communities. HEiTC was formed with this principle in mind, as its advocacy began with pushing to restore Medicare coverage on life-saving blood tests for regular surveillance use. Since the rare decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to restore that coverage, HEiTC has since expanded its advocacy to address other barriers to transplantation – notably non-clinical barriers such as income support or job protections for those donating the gift of life.

HEiTC continues to advocate on these issues at the federal level, while also working with its partners in state governments. Most recently, the organization worked with Texas state Rep. Josey Garcia on two pieces of legislation that would guarantee unpaid leave and income support for living donors. The legislation was announced as Rep. Garcia and the Texas Legislative Black Caucus honored Al B! with the Outstanding Texan Award in recognition for his work to lift barriers to healthcare.

WHO
Al B. Sure!, Executive Chairman, HEiTC
Rachel Noerdlinger, Co-Founder, HEiTC
Rev. Al Sharpton, Senior Advisor, HEiTC
Jennifer Jones Austin, Senior Advisor, HEiTC
Justin Brannan, Senior Advisor, HEiTC
Freeway, Hip Hop artist and healthcare advocate

WHEN

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025
10:30 a.m. ET

WHERE
Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel
811 7th Avenue (at West 53rd Street)
New York, NY

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