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Organizers say Black Expo will bring hospitals, pharma and produce distribution to Columbia to target diabetes and other health disparities
Summary
Thomas Media Group reported commitments from Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk, Prisma, MUSC and the South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture for the May 17 Black Expo; organizers plan health screenings, follow-up data collection and produce distribution to attendees.
Darren Thomas, president of Thomas Media Group LLC, told the Columbia City Council that Black Expo on May 17 will expand its health offerings with hospital systems, pharmaceutical partners and new food-access initiatives aimed at diabetes prevention.
“This will be the first time in its history that they will have been in the city Of Columbia or in the state,” Thomas said of Johnson & Johnson’s health-disparities unit, which he said has committed to participating. Thomas also said Novo Nordisk has committed education resources and that Prisma and MUSC will bring mobile health units and clinical specialties.
Thomas said the South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture has committed to provide 2,000 bags of state-grown produce and a chef to sample healthy food, an effort Thomas framed as addressing local food deserts and educating attendees about diet changes to reduce diabetes risk.
Prisma and MUSC staff will offer a range of screenings and specialty modules, Thomas said. He described a plan to issue a health “passport” to attendees and to use technology to follow up with participants after the event for ongoing outreach and referral. Thomas said the group has also engaged with Comet (regional transit) to provide passes that will help community members travel to the event and with Instacart for grocery-delivery outreach.
Thomas said he and his board are pursuing a long-term assessment (a “Blue Zones” assessment) and that health partners have expressed interest in sustained programming beyond the single-day expo. He said the event will be used to collect baseline health data that could support subsequent funding and partnerships.
Council members asked for clarity about the clinical follow-up and data collection; one council member noted the value of repeat testing and benchmarking over time. Thomas said partners will work to make diabetes screening repeatable and to use follow-up mechanisms after the expo.
Thomas asked the council to support outreach through neighborhood captains and said staff member Veronica Walker is coordinating neighborhood engagement. He said organizers will provide an April update to the council and will continue coordinating logistics with city staff.
