HELP Conference

The Health Equity and Lifestyle Project (HELP) Conference is a one-day in-person conference hosted in partnership between The Plantrician Project and Healthy Heart Nation.

August 28, 2026

UC Riverside

The conference is designed to explore the critical relationship between social determinants of health, health disparities and the role of evidence-based, lifestyle medicine as a critical and underutilized tool in addressing health disparities and reversing the chronic disease burden trend.

Large health disparities exist in rural and urban populations around the world with evidence highlighting the undeniable fact that the lower a person’s socio-economic status the greater their risk of poor health.

  • 87% of premature deaths due to non-communicable diseases occur in low to middle income countries.

  • Every day 16,000 children die before their fifth birthday.

  • Life expectancy varies by 34 years between countries.

  • In low-income, low-access areas, 50% of the population has limited access to supermarkets and grocery stores.

  • Cardiovascular disease disproportionately affects non-Hispanic blacks and individuals of lower socio-economic status.

  • Diet related disparities mirror the increased proportion of cardiovascular disease in at-risk populations.

  • Inequalities exert significant social, relational, and economic costs to individuals, families, communities, healthcare, and nations.

  • Food “swamps” present in low-income communities have a greater density of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores that serve as primary food resources.

  • Food budgets in low-income areas are insufficient to ensure a healthy diet.

HELP conference will be an annual catalyst for change, cultivating education, conversations, and igniting action to help change the future of healthcare and health equity in the United States.

The conference will:

  • Show how diet-related disparities mirror the increased proportion of cardiovascular disease in at-risk populations

  • Serve as the seed bed for nationally recognized programs that dramatically improve healthy food access and health in marginalized communities

  • Support the creation of seminal research demonstrating the positive impact of lifestyle medicine in reversing the trend of chronic disease and health inequity

  • Increase awareness and understanding of the health crisis in marginalized communities nationally and internationally

  • Create thoughtful and culturally relevant tools and resources to help leaders empower their communities

  • Connect key leaders to collaboratively work on reproducible solutions through shared knowledge and resources

  • Train the next generation of healthcare profession faculty, students, and leaders by equipping them with solutions that prioritize health equity and disease reversal and prevention

  • Unite leaders from medicine, business, faith-based, government, education, and the community to cultivate and build impactful relationships.

Additional Information

  • IN-PERSON 2026 Health Equity Lifestyle Project (HELP) Conference with up to 6-7 hours of educational content and inspiring discussion

  • Opportunity to network and collaborate with health, community and faith-based leaders and experts on health equity

  • DELICIOUS PLANT-BASED LUNCH IS INCLUDED

Presented by preeminent experts in healthy lifestyle, health equity and community impact:

Agenda

Friday, August 28, 2026

8:30AM– 12:30PM | Welcome/Conference Sessions

2:00PM – 5:00PM | Conference Sessions

FULL AGENDA COMING SOON

Conference Presented by:

Partners

We would to thank our current sponsors:

Sponsorship

If you would like to become a HELP Partner, or sponsor a scholarship for an attendee, please contact Tom Dunnam at The Plantrician Project at [email protected] or 561-810-6713

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