The Wayne County Medical Society, in collaboration with the Wayne State University School of Medicine, will present "Leading Change: Improving Community Health in a Shifting Political Environment," featuring keynote speaker U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, on Feb. 2.

The conference, scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will take place at the McGregor Memorial Conference Center, 495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit, on the campus of Wayne State University, and is open to all WSU students and faculty. Registration is free, but seating is limited. Register here.

The day's agenda includes:

7:30 to 8:30 a.m.: Registration and continental breakfast

8:30 to 9 a.m.: Welcome, Richard Bierschbach, J.D., interim president of Wayne State University; Gaurav Sharma, M.D., president of the Wayne County Medical Society; Warren Evans, Wayne County executive; Mary Sheffield, mayor of Detroit

9 to 9:20 a.m.: "Setting the Stage: Purpose and Recap from Part 1," Herbert Smitherman Jr., M.D., M.P.H., professor of WSU Internal Medicine

9:20 to 9:50 a.m.: "Addressing a Broken System: Defending and Advancing Health Care Access in Today’s Political Environment," U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin

Panel Reflection: Sen. Slotkin; Natasha Bagdasarian, M.D.; Michigan chief medical executive; Avani Sheth, M.D., Wayne County medical health officer; Luke Shaefer, Ph.D., City of Detroit Health, Human Services chief executive

10:15 to 11:15 a.m.: "Maternal and Child Health," Mona Hanna, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, associate dean for Public Health at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine; Patrice Harold, M.D., associate dean of Admissions at the Wayne State University School of Medicine; D'Angela Pitts, M.D., FACOG, Henry Ford Health

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: "Health Care: Are We Solving the Wrong Problem - Lessons in Optimizing Glycation, Autophagy and Oxidative Stress," James Blessman, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of WSU Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.: Lunch and networking

1:30 to 2:30 p.m.: Concurrent Breakout Sessions

• "Social Determinants of Health - Understanding Root Causes and Pathways," Ijeoma Nnodim Opara, M.D., FAAP, FAIM, associate professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the Wayne State University School of Medicine
• Mental Health/Substance Use Disorders - A Major Challenge Across Michigan," James White Jr., Ph.D., N.P., LMSW, former president of Michigan Mental Health
• "Senior Health - Building Stronger Aging Communities," Ronald Taylor, president and chief executive officer of the Detroit Area Agency on Aging

2:30 to 2:45 p.m.: Break

2:45 to 3 p.m.: Report on key suggestions

3 to 4 p.m.: Summary from breakout session leaders - Three Priority Solutions for Wayne County

4 to 4:30 p.m.: Concluding remarks and next steps, Dr. Smitherman