08.14.2024 / Press Release

Families USA’s Health Equity Academy Announces Sixth Cohort

Fellows Will Focus On Uplifting Patients From Marginalized Communities

Washington, D.C. – Families USA has selected a diverse group of 20 health care providers and health equity champions, including dentists, pharmacists, and community health workers, for the sixth cohort of its Health Equity Academy in System Transformation Fellowship. Members of the Providers for REAL (Realizing Equity, Advancing Lives) cohort are:

Benedicta Agbodza
Brianna A. Baker
Ashley Cofield
Erica Craven
Myesha Davis
Kimberly A. Foster
Dr. JorDonna Frazier
Tamara Gallman
Sheri Howard
Britney Lawrence
Karina Marin LeStrange
Isamar Mendoza
Joy Powell
Richard Rodriguez
Rosana Solis-Garcia
Dr. Rubin Sorrell II
Crystal Spring
Dr. Anjali Taneja
Almetria Turner
Tiffany Vassell

“We are thrilled to welcome these 20 dynamic individuals to the Providers for REAL cohort of our Academy. They are committed to fostering a just and equitable health care climate and becoming powerful advocates for their patients and communities,” said Staci Lofton, Senior Director of Health Equity. “We look forward to helping them garner a more holistic understanding of health beyond the clinic and how health care intersects with race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and access to resources.”

Over the course of the 10-month fellowship, the fellows will develop skills to uplift the health care experiences of historically marginalized communities and advance health equity policy in their communities and states. They will receive comprehensive advocacy agenda development and patient voice amplification training, networking opportunities, technical assistance, and funding to attend Families USA’s 2025 Health Action Conference in Washington DC.

Families USA’s Health Equity Academy is dedicated to bolstering advocates’ skills and connecting powerful health equity advocates across the United States. Launched in 2019, the Academy seeks to advance equitable policies centered on the needs of communities  by ensuring residents are involved and participate in the advocacy process. To date, five cohorts have graduated from the fellowship. Former fellows, such as Angelina Spicer, Kennedy Center Social Practice Resident and maternal health advocate, and Hunter Nelson, Colorado Director for Small Business Majority and equity-centered policy advocate, have made significant contributions in their respective fields.

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Families USA, a leading national voice for health care consumers, is dedicated to the achievement of high quality, affordable health care and improved health for all.