In Episode 18 of Wellness for the Rest of Us we speak with Laura Crandon, the Founder and President of Charitable organisation Touch4Life. Laura is a breast cancer survivor on a mission to increase the breast health IQ of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) and underserved communities. In our podcast we speak about the everyday inequities which exist in our health systems, globally and how knowing what to ask and who to ask for support can quite literally, save your life. As a charitable foundation, Touch4Life has a two-pronged focus to ensure that physicians deliver the breast healthcare that Black and BIPOC women need and that women know and advocate for the breast health that they deserve. Raised in Temple Hills, MD, and a lifelong MD resident, Laura recognised the disparities in breast cancer detection, treatment and survivorship that exist for Black and brown women in the United States–dying at a 41% higher rate than white women and determined to change that statistic. Sadly racial inequities in health systems exist in New Zealand and many other countries too. Laura has been a healthcare executive at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and UnitedHealthcare for over 15 years, she has served as a member of the Duke University Fuqua School of Business Healthcare Alumni Advisory Board, a certified financial officer of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Chair of the Health and Human Services Facet of The Columbia (MD) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, Member and Ambassador of United Way of Central Maryland Executive Council, Patient Advocate Advisory Board Member at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Ambassador of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and Certified American Cancer Society Health Equity Ambassador Link. She has been featured as a speaker at NIH, Johns Hopkins, and Duke, to bring a face to the disparity and advocate for inclusion and equitable health outcomes. She is the proud mother of two adult sons and wife for almost 30 years to an awesome and supportive husband. President and Founder TOUCH4LIFE™ www.touch4life.org IG FB LinkedIn @Touch4LifeInc

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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