Inaugural summit on social determinants of health and addressing barriers to healthy living and wellbeing in urban communities, Oct. 17 - 18, Washington, D.C.

DALLAS, Oct. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to the American Heart Association (Association), individual behaviors aren't the only factors that affect health. Community environments also play a determining role in health outcomes. In fact, people living just five miles apart can have a difference in life expectancy of more than 20 years.

On Oct. 17 and 18, as part of the Association's EmPOWERED To Servetm movement, which was developed to build a sustainable culture of health in diverse communities across America and encourage people to get involved in their communities, leading experts and thought-leaders will convene in Washington, D.C. to discuss and address:

• Community transformation and the root causes that impact social determinants of health.
• Why and how your zip code may increase your risk of stroke, high blood pressure and other types of heart disease.
• Engaging unconventional partners to drive creative solutions for collaborative health impact.

Additionally, as a part of the summit, 10 finalists in the American Heart Association's EmPOWERED To Serve Urban Business Storytelling Competition, which sought innovative solutions to remove barriers to health and wellbeing, will present innovative, urban business solutions to a judging panel. Three winners will be chosen to implement their business solution in their selected community. Winners will receive financial awards ranging from $10,000 to $30,000.

Who: Hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Affiliate of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Attendance of approximately 200 invitation-only professionals and organizations, including those listed below. The event will be livestreamed to accommodate overflow capacity.

• The Mark and Brenda Moore Family Foundation, funders of the EmPOWERED To Serve movement and the summit. Mark and Brenda Moore serve as American Heart Association and Mid-Atlantic Affiliate EmPOWERED to Serve volunteers and Ambassadors and are co-hosting the competition.
• Keynote Speaker: Robert Johnson, managing partner, Solomon Group, LLC; chief diversity and inclusion officer, Quintarios, Prieto, Wood & Boyer               
• Moderators/Presenters:
• Keith B. Churchwell, M.D., FACC, FAHA, FACP, senior vice president, operations and executive director, Heart and Vascular Center and Transplantation Center, Yale-New Haven Health; chair, American Heart Association Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health Task Force
• Calvin Butler, CEO, Baltimore Gas & Electric
• Competition Judging Panel:
• Lawrence Griffith, founder and CEO, Digital Factory, Inc.
• Vanessa Mason, co-founder and managing director, P2Health Ventures
• Ryan Mundy, chief strategist, Techlete Ventures; CEO, 12AM Holdings

What: Inaugural summit on social determinants of health and addressing barriers to healthy living and wellbeing in urban communities.

When: 8 a.m. ? 9:30 p.m., ET, Tuesday, Oct. 17; 8:00 a.m. ? 1:00 p.m., ET, Wednesday, Oct. 18.

Where: Kellogg Conference Hotel at Galludet University, 800 Florida Avenue, N.E., Washington, D.C.

Why: There are many factors that affect a person's health, including community environments. People living just five miles apart can have a difference in life expectancy by more than 20 years. Thus, the American Heart Association is working in communities and joining with alliances to address key factors that impact health and wellbeing: economic stability, education, societal influences, neighborhoods and healthcare. The competition is an opportunity for  community-focused companies, organizations and individuals to help affect community change.

Media Advisories:

• For more information about EmPOWERED To Serve and the summit, visit empoweredtoserve.org.
• For more information about the EmPOWERED To Serve Urban Business Storytelling Competition, visit the competition website.
• The summit and competition will be livestreamed; register and view the action.
• Social Media:  #EmPoweredToServe on Facebook @EmPoweredToServe and Twitter @AHA_EmPOWERED. 

About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke ? the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About the American Stroke Association
The American Stroke Association is devoted to saving people from stroke ? the No. 2 cause of death in the world and a leading cause of serious disability. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat stroke. The Dallas-based association officially launched in 1998 as a division of the American Heart Association. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-888-4STROKE or visit StrokeAssociation.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association receives funding mostly from individuals. Foundations and corporations donate as well, and fund specific programs and events. Strict policies are enforced to prevent these relationships from influencing the Association's science content. Financial information for the American Heart Association, including a list of contributions from pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers, is available at http://www.heart.org/corporatefunding.

SOURCE American Heart Association