ACEs and Toxic Stress: Rewriting the Story for the Next Generation [COMMUNITY PARTNER OF CITY CLUB EVENT]

Event Date:
March 21st 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Photograph of Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, an African American woman seated in a white lab coat on an examining table in a doctor's office

Location: Global Center for Health Innovation, Atrium Ballroom Cleveland, OH 44114

This event is hosted and organized by the City Club of Cleveland. The Schubert Center for Child Studies is a community partner for this event.

Nadine Burke Harris, M.D., MPH, Founder and CEO, Center for Youth Wellness, and author, The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity.

Over the last several years, healthcare providers and researchers are exploring the link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and physical health, mental health, and addiction. The first study, published in 1998, found that children who experience ACEs (everything from divorce, domestic violence, and physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse) are more likely to suffer from “toxic stress” which can increase their risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other costly and potentially debilitating health conditions as an adult.

Pediatrician Dr. Nadine Burke Harris has emerged as one of the strongest voices advocating for a public health campaign addressing ACEs and their potential effects on long-term health. She has developed screening methods to treat families and children experiencing toxic stress. Her work was featured in the documentary Resilience which debuted at the 2016 Cleveland International Film Festival.

Given that two-thirds of Americans experience at least one significant ACE, what does this mean for long-term health of Americans? What is being done – both in Cleveland and around the country – to properly diagnose and treat the physical, mental, and emotional effects of toxic stress?

Prior to the City Club event, Nadine Burke Harris presented during Pediatric Grand Rounds at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, which was coordinated as a Schubert Center Dialogue.

The Steven A. Minter Endowed Forum presented by Mr. Sinai Health Care Foundation. This forum is part of the Resilient Families series sponsored by Saint Luke’s Foundation, William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation. This forum is part of the City Club of Cleveland’s Authors in Conversation Series which is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. Community partners include the Schubert Center for Child Studies, The Legal Aide Society of Cleveland, and University Hospitals.