Feygele Jacobs · Notable Women in Health Care
Feygele Jacobs, DrPH, RCHN Community Health Foundation President & CEO has been recognized in the inaugural Notable Women in Health Care publication released by Crain’s New York Business. It honors executives, researchers, and clinicians who have had a profound impact through work in their careers and in their communities. This list of Notable Women in Health Care is part of a yearlong series from Crain’s New York Business to celebrate women in the workplace, across industries.
To view the complete list of honorees for Notable Women in Health Care, click here.
RCHN Community Health Foundation (New York, NY)
Contact: Feygele Jacobs
Email: fjacobs@rchnfoundation.org
American Diversity Group · Brooks Saltsman Award
The Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF) awarded American Diversity Group (ADG) the FY18 Brooks Saltsman Award for $5,000 in honor of Brooks Johnstone Saltsman to commend her lifelong dedication to volunteerism. Ms. Saltsman was a volunteer leader at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda for over 60 years working in admissions, the emergency room, obstetrics, and the thrift and gifts shops. Additionally, she served on its board of trustees for over 20 years, including terms as the Secretary, Assistant Treasurer, and Second Vice President of the board. She was a member of the Suburban Hospital Auxiliary and volunteered with the Junior League for over 50 years.
In 1999, Ms. Saltsman was elected as a Board of Trustee for the HIF. During her tenure as a HIF Trustee, the foundation benefited from Ms. Saltsman’s tremendous talent and commitment to service for Montgomery County, Maryland residents. In honor of her legacy, the foundation has awarded the FY18 Brooks Saltsman Award to ADG, a nonprofit that emulates her strong commitment to volunteer service in the health field. ADG brings together diverse groups of people to build and sustain healthy communities and enrich the lives of those they serve. It improves health care access to underserved individuals by providing them with health care services, connections to providers, health education, and awareness at free health fairs, relying on volunteers to make this impactful work possible.
ADG will utilize the $5,000 award to expand its existing services at free health fairs to include dental screening services. In addition, ADG will arrange dental screenings for the students and parents of Captain James E. Daly Elementary School and Clopper Mill Elementary School in Germantown, Maryland. Overall, ADG aims to build a healthier community through increased access to basic health and hygiene services for vulnerable populations.
Healthcare Initiative Foundation (Germantown, MD)
Contact: Catherine Oidtman
Phone: 301.525.9253
Email: catie.oidtman@hifmc.org
Young Change Makers · TCE Youth Awards
Since the inception of The California Endowment, young change makers have been essential in organizing communities across California toward improved health outcomes. They fight for safety in their schools, healthy food in their stores, and clean air in their neighborhoods. The inaugural TCE Youth Awards provides the opportunity to recognize the incredible work young leaders have undertaken, and to reward them for their efforts, which all too often go unacknowledged. After a highly competitive deliberation process, the foundation has determined the winners from an overall pool of 231 nominees.
The 2018 TCE Youth Awards Winners Community Champion Award Winners (by site) include:
- Guadalupe Reyes Calderon creates opportunities for young people to advocate for increased youth investment by the City of Merced. (Merced)
- Xitlaali Castellanos is an organizer focused on activating her community to vote and make their voices heard. (East Salinas)
- David Celedon is dedicated to dismantling the school to prison-to-deportation pipeline and offering guidance in the journey to self-healing. (Central Santa Ana)
- Gabriela Claro is a co-founder of an art collective that makes space for young women artists with hopes of changing the male-established hierarchy in the arts. (Boyle Heights)
- Nallelli Cobo uses the power of her voice, lived trauma, public speaking, policy advocacy, toxic tours, and social media to advocate for the right to health, clean air, and environmental justice. (South LA)
- Avi Critz is dedicated to fixing issues of gender inequity, gun violence, and environmental protection. (Del Norte)
- Danyeal Escobar has worked towards addressing the inequalities and discrimination that those experiencing homelessness in Fresno, California face. (Fresno)
- Jahiem Jones is committed to dismantling systems of oppression that continuously impact lives of black and brown communities. (Richmond)
- Xochtil Larios is dedicated to fixing the broken youth justice system. (East Oakland)
- Jacqueline Martinez is committed to eliminating the education and opportunity gap for low-income black and brown youth. (Long Beach)
- Simon Moore visits middle schools to discuss suicide awareness. (Coachella Valley)
- Chyna Patz is a committed leader in the fight for educational and LGBTQ justice in Kern County, California. (South Kern)
- Tahara Reynolds is committed to achieving improved community health in low-income communities. (unaffiliated)
- Paw Wah is an advocate for transportation justice and a member of the City Heights Community Action Team. (City Heights)
- Yeshahyah Yisrael is bringing healthy food education and inclusive, accessible self-care workshops to young people in Sacramento and beyond through hosting community poetry, music, and art events combined with hands-on food justice and self-care workshops. (Sacramento)
Healthy Communities Award Winner, Schools LA Students Deserve, is dedicated to fixing the racist and classist practice of “random wanding and metal detector searches” in Los Angeles Unified School District.
Healthy California Award Winner, Comite Civico Del Valle, empowers disadvantaged communities through education on civic engagement, advocacy, policy, and environmental justice.
Brandon Harrison Visionary Award Winner, Tisha Ortiz, is a student at Cal State East Bay who uses the experiences of her traumatic childhood to help drive changes in public policy that will improve the health and safety of California’s foster children.
The California Endowment (Los Angeles, CA)
Phone: 800.449.4149
Amy Gorn · Hite-Riley-Peterson Policy Fellowship
The Riley Institute at Furman University has selected Amy Gorn, Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) Program Officer, to participate in the White-Riley-Peterson (WRP) Policy Fellowship. A partnership with the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the WRP Fellowship is a 10-month, national program to equip graduates with a real-world understanding of policymaking for afterschool and expanded learning.
Ms. Gorn will travel to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, to begin the program. As part of the fellowship, she will develop and implement a state-level policy project in partnership with Alaska Afterschool Network and the national Afterschool Alliance.
In her role at the Mat-Su Health Foundation, Ms. Gorn manages the Healthy Families area of focus and is responsible for working with the MSHF program team to design and implement strategic initiatives to advance the foundation’s goals and vision. Her previous work experience includes serving as a Community Wellness Coordinator for Rural Alaska Community Action Programs, Inc.; working in public radio in Sitka and Nome, Alaska; and working as a Juvenile Justice Officer for the state of Alaska.
Mat-Su Health Foundation (Wasilla, AK)
Contact: Robin Minard
Phone: 907.352.2892
Email: rminard@healthymatsu.org