The Institute for the Advancement Minority Health will host a virtual panel discussion to debunk health myths and truth check health misinformation disseminated via social media.
At 7 p.m., Thursday, April 14, 2022, a panel discussion featuring Dr. Timothy Quinn and Dr. Freddie Kency Jr. will highlight the increasing danger of health misinformation. Both physicians know first-hand how inaccurate counsel from the internet impacts patients. Dr. Quinn is a family physician, and Dr. Kency is an emergency medicine physician. Asia McCoy, IAMH program manager, will moderate the conversation.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, health misinformation leads individuals to make decisions that could have dangerous consequences to their well-being. Communities are constantly flooded with misinformation on social media in the form of hoaxes, false claims, and untruths. Misinformation, along with mistrust of the healthcare system, is the foundation of historical inequities in medical treatment and discrimination.
During the virtual discussion, participants will learn how they can reduce health disparities by understanding, identifying, and stopping the spread of health misinformation. The discussion is open to the public.
Register at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/Cpa3tH7/truthcheckevent. For more information, contact the Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health at iamh@advancingminorityhealth.org or at (769) 572-5263.
Dr. Freddie Kency Jr. was selected as the American Academy of Emergency Medicine’s (AAEM) first Black Young Physicians Section director during AAEM’s 27th annual Scientific Assembly in St. Louis, Missouri. Kency, a board-certified emergency medicine physician, is also one of AAEM’s 2021 Board of Directors. Kency is a community emergency medicine physician at Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. He is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and also served as a physician for the U.S. Navy from 2011-2015.
Dr. Timothy Quinn is medical director of Quinn Healthcare, PLLC. As a family physician, he thoroughly understands the human condition and utilizes effective communication, teaching, and interpersonal skills to empower patients to make significant lifestyle changes to improve their health. Dr. Quinn serves as the principal investigator of multiple clinical trials for Merck and Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Corporation. During the past two years, Dr. Quinn has worked with the Mississippi State Department of Health on several grants including Pre-Diabetes and Chronic Disease Quality Initiatives. He is a member of the City of Jackson Medical Taskforce, as well as the collaborating physician for the City of Jackson Employee’s Clinic. Dr. Quinn is also a collaborating physician for Cigna Health Springs. He developed and is currently leading the Children’s Health Initiative to raise awareness of the importance of childhood physicals, partnering with MS State Medical Association, MS Academy of Pediatrics, and MS Academy of Family Medicine.
Asia McCoy, MPH, is a native of De Kalb, Mississippi. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology, with an emphasis in Exercise Science from the University of Southern Mississippi. McCoy continued her education at the University of Southern Mississippi by earning a Master of Public Health, with an emphasis in Health Policy and Administration. McCoy currently serves as a Program Manager for the Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health. She oversees the day-to-day functions of the Maternal and Child Health Program, the Overdose Data to Action Program, and the COVID-19 Emergency Response Program.
