2009 Community Health Leaders Announced

On October 8, 2009, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced the recipients of its Community Health Leaders (CHL) Award for 2009 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The award honors 10 individuals who have overcome daunting odds to improve the health and quality of life for disadvantaged or underserved men, women and children across the United States. Continued >>

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• Harold Amos Program Holds Annual Meeting
• Nurse Faculty Scholars Program Announces New Cohort, Launches New Web Site

2009 Community Health Leaders Announced Continued

“The 2009 Community Health Leaders have been conducting health reform ‘on the ground,’ addressing the shortcomings and challenges that confront the underserved in their own communities,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and chief executive officer of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “These leaders have taken personal and professional risks to help their fellow citizens live healthier, better lives.”

The Community Health Leaders Award is in its 16th year; its recipients represent a wide range of geographical, cultural, ethnic, social and economic backgrounds. This year’s winners join a distinguished and diverse group of 163 previous recipients. The award elevates the leaders’ work by raising awareness of their contributions through national visibility, a $125,000 award and numerous networking opportunities.

The 2009 Community Health Leaders, and the efforts for which they are honored, are:

• Amanda Gaynor Ashley, D.M.D., Ms.Edu., dental clinic director, Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital Dental Clinic, Barrow, Alaska. Gaynor is expanding oral health services to the residents of this northern slope community and the surrounding villages.
• David Carey, chairperson, Inspire Human Services Co-op, Phoenix, Ariz. Carey’s work assures safe public transportation options for persons with physical disabilities, and provides them the opportunity to direct and control their own health care services.
• Hugh F. "Trey" Daly III, J.D., senior attorney, Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, Ohio. In his advocacy and legal efforts, Daly is improving health care access for low-income families in Greater Cincinnati.
• Lynne Holden, M.D., president and chief executive officer, Mentoring in Medicine, Inc., Bronx, N.Y. Holden established and is leading an all-volunteer organization that encourages and nurtures disadvantaged students from New York City’s Harlem and the South Bronx to enter the health professions.
• Uwe Jacobs, Ph.D., clinical and executive director, Survivors International, San Francisco, Calif. Jacobs provides clinical and therapeutic care to more than 1,000 individuals in the San Francisco area who have experienced torture and/or are seeking asylum in the United States.
• Rajiv Kumar, chairman and co-founder, Shape Up RI, Providence, R.I. Kumar established and executes a team-based program for Rhode Island residents to address obesity challenges and improve their overall health through exercise and healthy eating.
• Sonith Peou, program director, Metta Health Center, Lowell, Mass. Peou’s work assures that the large Cambodian-American community in Lowell, Massachusetts has access to culturally competent health services.
• Frances Stout, R.N., chairperson of the board, Tohono O’odham Nursing Care Authority (TONCA), Sells, Ariz. Stout works to improve the quality of health services, assisted-living services and long-term care for residents of the Tohono O’odham Nation—an effort she helped to spearhead after she retired as a nurse.
• Claudia Stravato, board member and retired executive director, Texas Panhandle Family Planning and Health Centers, Amarillo, Texas. Stravato advocates for and provides access to primary care for low-income and uninsured families, with an emphasis on family planning and health services for teens and adolescents.
• Satira Streeter, Psy.D., executive and clinical director, Ascensions Community Services, Inc., Washington, D.C. Streeter delivers culturally relevant, family-focused psychological services to children and families living in the historically impoverished area of Anacostia in Washington, D.C., and in neighboring communities in suburban Maryland.

Additional information on the 2009 Community Health Leaders is available at www.communityhealthleaders.org.

Harold Amos Program Holds Annual Meeting

The Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program (AMFDP) held its 26th annual meeting October 7–9 in Miami. The meeting program included a panel discussion on health care reform, and four plenary sessions in which scholars presented their clinical research. The exiting fourth-year scholars also delivered valedictory remarks. The program seeks to increase the number of faculty from historically disadvantaged backgrounds who can achieve senior rank in academic medicine, and who will encourage and foster the development of succeeding classes of such physicians. For more information, visit www.amfdp.org.

Nurse Faculty Scholars Program Announces New Cohort, Launches New Web Site

Fifteen nurse educators from around the country who show outstanding promise as future leaders in academic nursing have been named the second cohort of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars. The program provides talented junior faculty with salary and research support, as well as the chance to participate in institutional and national mentoring activities, leadership training, and networking events with colleagues in nursing and other fields. The scholars continue to teach and provide institutional, professional and community service in their universities. The program aims to strengthen the academic productivity and overall excellence of nursing schools by developing the next generation of national leaders in academic nursing.

In September, the Nurse Faculty Scholars program unveiled a new Web site featuring profiles of the scholars, updates on their research, information for current and prospective scholars, and much more. Visit the site at www.nursefacultyscholars.org.