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LONZIE LEE JONES
PATIENT ADVOCACY SYMPOSIUM

DISCUSSING EMERGENCY

GET INSPIRED.
This patient-powered roundtable CARE: WHAT’S YOUR
promotes self-advocacy and sickle “ED TRIP?”
cell disease education targeted to
improve patient care. Prepare to be
n
engaged, educated, empowered and October 14 11a.m. EST
enriched as our panelists share their life-changing,
personal stories of struggle and hope.

Moderator:
Genice Nelson, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC is a nurse practitioner specialist with UConn Health. She
graduated with honors in 2003 and has more than 19 years of diverse experience, especially in nursing.
Genice is committed to making a difference in the sickle cell patient community.

Speaker: possible.
Tonya Mitchell, MBA, CHWI, program Speaker:
manager, UT Southwestern Medical Center LeKita Deal is a 48-year-old warrior
Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program, is a who was born and raised in Chicago,
single mother of two, a proud grandmother, Illinois. As a cancer survivor with sickle cell
college graduate, and a Texas licensed SS disease, her life has defied the odds.
Community Health Worker Instructor. As Health awareness is her passion, so she
the only person in her family with sickle cell dedicates her time and efforts to assist
disease, her mother had to learn to navigate medical professionals with research and
taking care of a child with a debilitating spreading awareness about SCD. She is a
disease that they had never heard of without mother of four — all who carry the sickle
being properly educated by the providers. cell trait — and has two grandchildren.
Her mother was told that if her daughter Now living in California, she has dedicated
wasn’t in enough pain to want to go to the herself to raising her children and focusing
ER that she wasn’t really in pain. This started on her health. She has spoken on panels
Ms. Mitchell’s path to becoming more and is a part of several sickle cell disease
educated about her disease and learning to groups where she provides input and shares
advocate for herself. Her heart is in taking personal experiences in dealing with her
and understanding patient experiences to condition. She spends her free time doing
break health care norms to have higher home health care for children as well.
delivery of quality service (based on patient
experience), to raise awareness and address
systemic barriers for sickle cell patients
and families, while delivering the best care

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