WASHINGTON, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Black Women’s Health Imperative announced today that Dr. Sharon Thompson will serve as its inaugural National Medical Director. In this role, Dr. Thompson will be a national spokesperson for the Black Women’s Health Imperative on all matters relating to Black women’s health. She will also advise leadership on the latest medical trends and assist in strengthening the Black Women’s Health Imperative’s current offerings, including its signature lifestyle change program and heart health curricula.
“A BWHI Board member for the past year, we are thrilled and grateful for the expertise and experience that Dr. Thompson brings to this new and important National Medical Director role,” said Michelle Webb, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer of the Black Women’s Health Imperative.
Dr. Thompson is a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist in Phoenix, Arizona, where she owns and directs Central Phoenix Obstetrics and Gynecology. She also serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Arizona School of Medicine.
Dr. Thompson is a longtime community leader, currently serving as Medical Director for the Arizona Community Health Partnership. She is also a member of the board of directors for the Phoenix Emerald Foundation and is the immediate past chair of the Women’s Commission for the City of Phoenix.
“I am proud and excited to support BWHI’s critical mission to protect, advance, and celebrate the health and wellness of Black women and girls. This mission is especially critical in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade‘s overturn on the basis that the right to abortion is not found in America’s ‘history and traditions.’ In the role of National Medical Director, I will have the opportunity to support BWHI’s already effective and comprehensive programs with the latest medical science and innovation. Unfortunately, we live in a society where the perspectives, needs, and achievements of Black women are all too often ignored or undervalued, which contributes to some of the differential health outcomes we experience in areas like pre-term birth and maternal mortality; breast and cervical cancer survival; and treatment for heart and kidney disease, among others. BWHI is committed to addressing these outcomes using all available means — education, policy, programs, research, advocacy, and influence — to make sure our country recognizes all our rights — those that may be found in America’s ‘history and traditions,’ as well as those that were acknowledged through the efforts and sacrifices of generations before us. I am honored to be a part of continuing to do the work and making a difference for Black women across the nation,” said Dr. Thompson.
Dr. Thompson earned a B.A. in Biology from Vassar College, an M.P.H. in Maternal and Child Health from the University of California at Berkeley, and an M.D. from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
“Black women’s access to health care is under attack in many parts of the country. We can’t think of a better, more qualified champion for our cause than Dr. Thompson. Her knowledge and guidance will be invaluable as we continue to improve the quality, integrity, and accessibility of the Black Women’s Health Imperative’s nationwide programming,” said Webb.
Established originally as the National Black Women’s Health Project in 1983, the Black Women’s Health Imperative is the first and only national non-profit organization created for and by Black women dedicated to improving the health and wellness of our nation’s 21 million Black women and girls — physically, emotionally, and financially. Our core mission is advancing health equity, reproductive, and social justice for Black women, across the lifespan, through policy, advocacy, education, research, and leadership development. For more information, please visit www.bwhi.org.