Amid Growing Threats to Healthcare Access, HEiTC Leadership to Host Powerful Discussion on the Pathway to Lifting More Barriers at National Action Network Annual Convention
HEiTC Executive Chairman Al B. Sure!, Co-Founder Rachel Noerdlinger, Advisors Rev. Al Sharpton, Jennifer Jones Austin, and Council Member Justin Brannan to Lead Conversation in New York City
Leaders of the Health Equity in Transplantation Coalition (HEiTC), will convene on the first day of the National Action Network Annual Convention located at 811 7th Avenue (at West 53rd Street) in New York City, on Wednesday, April 2nd, to discuss how the nation can lift historic barriers to healthcare in general, but especially on issues of transplantation.
The panel – which will focus on the state of healthcare as well as its impacts on Black America – will feature HEiTC Executive Chairman Al B. Sure!, Co-Founder Rachel Noerdlinger, Senior Advisors Rev. Al Sharpton, Jennifer Jones Austin, and NYC Council Member Justin Brannan, as well as Hip Hop artist and advocate Freeway. The conversation is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Sheraton New York Times Square, where Rev. Sharpton will gather thousands of National Action Network (NAN) members to hear from leaders in Civil Rights, business, government, academia, and other fields on the most pressing issues in Black America.
Health is, of course, one of the foundational issues for these communities. HEiTC was formed with this principle in mind, as its advocacy began with pushing to restore Medicare coverage on life-saving blood tests for regular surveillance use. Since the rare decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to restore that coverage, HEiTC has since expanded its advocacy to address other barriers to transplantation, notably non-clinical barriers such as income support or job protections for those donating the gift of life.
HEiTC continues to advocate on these issues at the federal level, while also working with its partners in state governments. Most recently, the organization worked with Texas state Rep. Josey Garcia on two pieces of legislation that would guarantee unpaid leave and income support for living donors. The legislation was announced as Rep. Garcia and the Texas Legislative Black Caucus honored Al B! with the Outstanding Texan Award in recognition of his work to lift barriers to healthcare.
Mount Vernon native Al B. Sure! has emerged as one of the nation’s leading advocates for equity within transplantation. He has dedicated his life to fighting for his transplant family because he has lived the same experiences as them. The global recording artist and wellness ambassador’s own transplant journey began in July 2022 when he collapsed during a studio session in Houston, TX.
Doctors at the initial hospital thought hospice care was his only option due to the severity of his overall condition, as he experienced Multiple System Organ Failure (MSOF). Al B!’s good friend and mentor, Rev. Dr. Al Sharpton, along with global communications strategist Rachel Noerdlinger and family members, urged them to cancel those thoughts and keep the faith. Subsequently, Dr. Uday Khosla of Remix HQ had him transferred to Houston Methodist Hospital, under the care of Dr. Constance M. Mobley, MD PhD, who agreed that hospice was definitely not an option.
In the months to come, the legendary, multi-Platinum R&B music singer, songwriter, producer and social activist, endured MSOF, over 50 plasma and blood transfusions, being put on a ventilator for 38 days, a tracheotomy, septic, being placed on kidney dialysis, a 2-month-plus medically induced coma, and a successful liver transplant.
Al B! Awoke on purpose, with a purpose. He has since used his own platform to fight for equal justice and healthcare equality for all, including his new transplant family. This is not a political issue for Al B! — it is one of human rights, because organs don’t vote.
Doctors at the initial hospital thought hospice care was his only option due to the severity of his overall condition as he experienced Multiple System Organ Failure (MSOF). Al B!’s good friend and mentor, Rev. Dr. Al Sharpton, along with global communications strategist Rachel Noerdlinger and family members, urged them to cancel those thoughts and keep the faith. Subsequently, Dr. Uday Khosla of Remix HQ had him transferred to Houston Methodist Hospital, under the care of Dr. Constance M. Mobley MD, PhD, who agreed that hospice was definitely not an option.
In the months to come, the legendary, multi-Platinum R&B music singer, songwriter, producer and social activist, endured MSOF, over 50 plasma and blood transfusions, being put on a ventilator for 38 days, a tracheotomy, septic, being placed on kidney dialysis, a 2-month-plus medically induced coma, and a successful liver transplant.
Al B! Awoke on purpose, with a purpose. He has since used his own platform to fight for equal justice and healthcare equality for all, including his new transplant family. This is not a political issue for Al B! — it is one of human rights, because organs don’t vote.
HEiTC was established in November 2023 by global recording artist Al B. Sure!, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Rachel Noerdlinger to address the critical challenges that more than 100,000 Americans face every day as they wait for an organ transplant and to ensure they then have access to innovative tools to protect their gift of life. Our mission transcends partisan politics: to remove barriers to organ transplants and post-procedure care to improve health outcomes.
The Health Equity in Transplantation Coalition (HEiTC) is a non-partisan advocacy organization focused on addressing the organ transplant crisis to help thousands of Americans who are in need of, but cannot access, an organ transplant or quality post-procedure care.
