Session and Speaker Information
Featured Panelists
Adimika Meadows Arthur
CEO & Executive Director, HealthTech 4 Medicaid (HT4M)-
Adimika Meadows Arthur is a visionary and strategic executive with over two decades of experience in healthcare. Her expertise in health equity, investments, and disruptive technologies offers valuable insights to companies navigating a rapidly evolving market. An experienced clinical epidemiologist and former hospital/health system executive, Adimika excels at helping others better understand health, well-being, and healthcare through storytelling, connection, and culture. She currently serves as the founding Executive Director and CEO of HealthTech for Medicaid (HT4M), a national nonprofit focused on driving innovation in Medicaid—the nation’s largest insurer—and improving quality, equity, and access to care for vulnerable populations. HT4M, a mission-based market enabler, sits at the intersection of where health and technology equity meet by facilitating cross-sectoral, collaborative partnerships in health technology nationwide.
Dr. Sung-Jae Lee
Professor-in-Residence,
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA-
Sung-Jae Lee is a Professor-in-Residence in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM) at UCLA, with a joint appointment in the Department of Epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. He co-leads the Health Equity and Translational Social Science (HETSS) Research Theme at DGSOM. As Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Deputy Director of the Implementation Science and Practice Hub (ISPH) in his department, he is passionate about helping faculty grow, connect, and translate research into meaningful, community-driven impact.
Dr. Lee’s work centers on advancing health equity among communities disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and related syndemic conditions. He directs the Methods Core at the Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services (CHIPTS) and leads the Fogarty-funded Cutting edge, Customized, and Comprehensive (CCC) HIV Training Program in Vietnam and Thailand, preparing the next generation of faculty and researchers to address regional and global health challenges. He also serves as Co-Investigator for the NIAID-funded Rapid, Rigorous, and Relevant (3R) Implementation Science Hub and as UCLA Site Principal Investigator for the UC Global Health Institute’s GloCal Fellowship Program, mentoring emerging global health leaders dedicated to creating sustainable change.
Dr. Joia Crear
President, National Birth Equity Collaborative -
As the founder & Director of the National Birth Equity Collaborative, Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, M.D., FACOG identifies & challenges racism as a root cause of health inequities. She is a highly sought-after trainer & speaker who has been featured in national & international publications, including Essence & Ms. magazine. In 2020, Dr. Crear-Perry was honored by USA Today in its “Women of the Century” series & featured on ABC Nightline’s “Hear Her Voice.” Dr. Crear-Perry has twice addressed the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to elevate the cause of gender diversity & urge a human rights framework toward addressing maternal mortality. Previously, she served as the executive director of the Birthing Project, director of women’s & children’s services at Jefferson Community Healthcare Center, & as the director of clinical services for the City of New Orleans Health Department. Dr. Crear-Perry currently serves as a principal at Health Equity Cypher & on the Board of Trustees for Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Community Catalyst & Taproot Earth. She is an adjunct professor at Tulane School of Public Health. After completing undergraduate studies at Princeton University & Xavier University, Dr. Crear-Perry received her MD from Louisiana State University & completed her residency in obstetrics & gynecology at Tulane University’s School of Medicine. She is married to Dr. Andre Perry & has three children (Jade, Carlos, & Robeson) & one grandson (Quinn). Her love is her family; health equity is her passion; maternal & child health are her callings.
Ummesalma Palanpurwala
Founder, Humans Behind Motherhood-
Ummesalma Palanpurwala, MPH, is the founder and director of the Maternal Health Policy Institute, a policy research initiative addressing structural barriers to maternal healthcare access through legal and regulatory analysis. She holds a Master of Public Health in Policy and Management from New York University, where her research analyzed structural failures contributing to eclampsia mortality in Bangladesh and developed policy recommendations for community-based perinatal care delivery. Previously, as a Healthcare Policy Associate at FedLogic, Ummesalma supported over 100 mothers navigating Medicaid and ACA coverage, interpreting complex federal and state regulations to address coverage gaps affecting vulnerable maternal populations. Her work has also spanned corporate ESG compliance research on dependent care benefits at JUST Capital, population health program leadership at Saifee Burhani Medical Association America, and community-based health equity initiatives including leadership of a postpartum depression awareness campaign for South Asian communities through Project Rise. Fluent in English, Arabic, Urdu, Gujarati, and Hindi, Ummesalma brings a multilingual, transnational perspective to maternal health policy. She is a USAID-certified Family Planning Programming professional and is currently authoring research on medical-legal partnerships for the Journal of Feminist Scholarship.