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U.N.I.T.Y. on World IBD Day

Registration is open for Equity in GI

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A Look Back at COCCI On The Scene

U.N.I.T.Y. on World IBD Day

IBD has no age, and nothing makes that more apparent to COCCI than our community. From Baby Boomers to Gen Z, IBD has affected so many lives in BIPOC communities, and in several cases, the disparities worsen the experiences. While it has altered the sense of stability for some patients, COCCI remains committed to making sure patients feel seen, heard, and helped in their journeys. That requires unity and collaboration between industry, physicians, and patients! 

On World IBD Day, join us on social media to tell your stories of real-life experiences living with IBD. Your voice is powerful and helps to shift the lives of people who don't know about, understand, or accept Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis as diseases that BIPOC communities face. Tag us at @colorofcci on Instagram and/or Twitter or Color of Crohn's and Chronic Illness on Facebook and/or LinkedIn. If you're not a big social media fan, here are other ways to get involved with COCCI:

Donate to COCCI
Join COCCI Membership Program
View COCCI Health Unity & Equity (HUE) Center
View Partners with Patient Resources
Join COCCI's Facebook Community

Register for Equity in GI before the Early Bird deadline!

Have you registered for Equity in GI yet? With our early bird deadline around the corner, we're encouraging you to register before the prices increase. We are excited to see everyone in July and push progress forward through education, connections, and culture.


Event Schedule at a Glance

Early bird deadline: Friday, May 19th.

Register for Equity in GI

Check Out Upcoming Events and Programs!

Meet with Justin today, May 17th

Join Justin C. Key, a speculative fiction writer and psychiatrist whose short stories have appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, Tor.com, Escape Pod, and Lightspeed.


A graduate of Clarion West, his debut short story collection The World Wasn't Ready For You will be coming out from HarperCollins this fall. When Justin isn’t writing, working with patients, or exploring Los Angeles with his wife, he’s chasing after his three young (and energetic!) children.

Register for Meet the Medic

Also this month...

The Huddle: A Safe Space for Men with IBD

Wednesday, May 17th at 7:30PM via Zoom

Register for The Huddle

Together IBD

Thursday, May 25th at 6:30PM via Zoom

Register for Together IBD

Take a Look Back at COCCI on the Scene

A look back at Advocating for the COCCI Culture 2023!

COCCI Ambassadors travelled from 11 states for 2.5 days of content on patient advocacy, policy, and, most importantly, COCCI's first Hill Day!!! We heard from representatives of the Global Liver Institute, the American Gastroenterological Association, and Generation Patient. We took a deep dive into the Safe Step Act, HELP Copays Act, and Medical Nutrition Equity Act. We also urged members of Congress to join the Congressional Crohn's and Colitis Caucus if they were not already a member.

On hill day, COCCI ambassadors participated in 31 meetings. 15 were Senate meetings, and 16 were House meetings, 1 at the member level.

With so much work to be done, we look forward to inviting COCCI members in 2024 to join our advocacy program. Look out for more information on our advocacy efforts in future communications.

View Our Advocacy Priorities

A look back at DDW 2023


The COCCI team attended Digestive Disease Week 2023 in full force, meeting with partners, making new connections, and exhibiting. We tested the knowledge of physicians and industry members on the disparities of BIPOC patients and had thorough discussions on our DEI initiatives. We're looking forward to Digestive Disease Week 2024 in Washington, DC.

Thank you to our 2023 Champion Sponsors