Amyloidosis Awareness Month Spotlight: Breaking the Silence on ATTR-CM

Join us for an exclusive webinar as we shine a spotlight on ATTR-CM (transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy) in recognition of Amyloidosis Awareness Month. Despite its impact, ATTR-CM remains widely underdiagnosed, often mistaken for other heart conditions. This session aims to break the silence, empower awareness, and drive meaningful discussions on this serious but treatable condition.

Moderator

Chinnie Ukachukwu, MPH
Senior Director, Quality Improvement and Equity
Center For Sustainable Health Care Quality and Equity
National Minority Quality Forum

Chinonso “Chinnie” Ukachukwu, MPH, is a seasoned Public Health Professional with nearly 2 decades of leadership in healthcare.

As the Senior Director of Quality Improvement and Equity at the National Minority Quality Forum’s Center for Sustainable Health Care Quality and Equity (SHC), she leads initiatives to boost health education and address disparities in underserved communities across the nation. Chinnie leads impactful projects for clinical teams and community leaders, focusing on effective and equitable health interventions.

She holds a Master of Public Health from Southern New Hampshire University, which has been pivotal in her career. Previously, as a Chronic Disease Manager at MetroHealth Clinic DC, she helped bridge care gaps for chronic conditions like diabetes and HIV and developed the "Let’s Get Moving" program with the DC Department of Health. This program, targeting adult obesity, saw 60% of participants lose at least 10 pounds in a year. Chinnie is also a wife and mother of three, enjoying family time and travel.
 
Panelists

Nitasha Sarswat, MD
Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiologist
University of Chicago

Dr. Nitasha Sarswat is a cardiologist who specializes in advanced heart failure, mechanical circulatory support and transplantation. Her clinical and research focus is in infiltrative cardiomyopathies, specifically amyloidosis. She started and developed the amyloid program at University of Chicago in 2015. The amyloid center is now multi-institutional Center of Excellence.

Dr. Sarswat is passionate about education of other physicians, patients/families and the community. Her research is about novel therapies for amyloidosis, imaging techniques for earlier diagnosis and the understanding of arrhythmias in amyloid cardiomyopathy. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles is journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, European Heart Journal and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ni....tasha-sarswat-a56941
 
Jannae White, DNP, CRNP
Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner
Ascension St. Agnes Heart Failure Center

Dr. White has a heart for the community and believes in empowering individuals through health education. Dr. White received her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Florida in 2018. She practices as a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner in Baltimore, MD, at Ascension St. Agnes Heart Failure Center. She has a special interest in transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis, heart failure management and patient education.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ja....nnae-white-88ab4b127


Velma Henderson, RN, MS, CNAA, BC
Retired Chief Nursing Officer
Howard University Hospital

Velma is an accomplished Administrator, Consultant, Trainer and Presenter. She retired as Chief Nursing Officer at Howard University Hospital Washington, D.C. where in addition to her regular duties, she developed and implemented a comprehensive organization wide Customer Service Improvement Plan. She also served as a board member for Women Heart, the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, the Chi Eta Phi Education Foundation, the National Black Nurse Association and the Nursing Spectrum. She is Past President of both the District of Columbia Organization of Nurse Executives (DCONE) and the Prince George’s County Chapter of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc. Henderson is a multiple award recipient, including the Helen S. Miller Award from Chi Eta Phi Sorority Inc. in recognition of her sustained advocacy and commitment to advancing the agenda of black nurses. She is a lifetime member of the National Council of Negro Women. In addition to her extensive administrative and clinical expertise, Henderson is a sought-after presenter and trainer, having held adjunct faculty positions at both the Howard University Colleges of

Medicine and Nursing and Prince George’s Community College. She is a widow and the mother of two adult children and is the proud grandmother of three grandsons. Henderson resides in Oxon Hill, MD.