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Final Program


Schedule at a Glance
Legend

Melissa Flores, MPH,MSW

Hospital for Special Surgery
New York, New York, United States

Melissa Flores, MPH, LCSW is the Asst. Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). Ms. Flores collaborates closely with the Chief Health Equity Officer to implement and monitor the HSS Health Equity Strategic Plan. She plays a central role in tracking, analyzing, and reporting on data related to race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and social determinants of health (SDOH) across the institution. She led the interdisciplinary team responsible for designing workflows and launching the collection of SDOH data in both pediatric outpatient and adult inpatient settings. In her position, she works across departments to identify and address health disparities specific to orthopedic and rheumatology care. In addition to her data-driven work, Ms. Flores creates and distributes educational materials to patients and staff, aiming to address the diverse needs of various populations. She is also the leader of the hospital-wide LGBTQIA+ Committee and a key contributor to achieving the hospital’s biennial LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation. She previously served as the Social Work Program Coordinator of the Charla de Lupus (Lupus Chat)® Program for 4+ years, where she managed monthly support groups and provided vital psychosocial support to both pediatric and adult lupus patients and their loved ones. Ms. Flores holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Columbia University.

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