Newsmakers: June 2024

Sophia Meador

White appointed chief

APHA member Katharine O’Connell White, MD, MPH, was appointed chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston Medical Center and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine in March. White has worked to advance reproductive health, including contraception, patient-centered outcomes, and advocacy for marginalized individuals.

Research!America announces new board members

Research!America announced six newly elected members to its board of directors on April 18: Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH, president and CEO of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health; Celine Gounder, MD, SCM, medical contributor for CBS News and senior fellow and editor-at-large for Public Health, KFF Health News; Laura Magaña, PhD, president and CEO of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health; Claire Pomeroy, MD, president of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation; John Reed, MD, PhD, executive vice president of pharmaceutical research and development at Johnson & Johnson; and Ravi Thadhani, MD, MPH, executive vice president for health affairs at Emory University and executive director at of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center. The new board members will serve three-year terms.

Nicholson, Wong appointment chair and vice chair

Wanda Nicholson, MD, MPH, MBA, and John Wong, MD, MACP, were appointed chair and vice chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on March 14. Nicholson serves as director of the Office of Inclusive Excellence, professor of prevention and community health, and senior associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. Wong is vice chair for academic affairs, chief of the Division of Clinical Decisionmaking and a primary care clinician in the Department of Medicine at Tufts Medical Center. The task force provides evidence-based recommendations on clinical preventive services.

McDonald appointed chair

Catherine McDonald, PhD, RN, FAAN, was announced as the new chair of Penn Nursing’s Department of Family and Community Health in March. McDonald, who is currently vice chair of the department and the Dr. Hildegarde Reynolds endowed term chair of primary care nursing, is slated to begin the new appointment in July. Her work focuses on injury prevention in youth.

Rashid named chief officer

Ripa Rashid, MA, MBA, was named chief diversity and inclusion officer of Consumer Reports in February. Rashid, previously the head of inclusion and diversity at TD Cowen, is also an adjunct professor at New York University Stern Business School. In the new role, she will lead ongoing efforts to foster a more diverse and inclusive work environment.

Talev named executive director

Caroline Talev, MPA, was named executive director of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and as the advisory council’s designated federal officer in April. Talev, the senior management analyst for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, had served as the council’s alternate federal officer since 2019.

Ghinassi named chair

Frank Ghinassi, PhD, ABPP, was named the 2024 chair of the board of trustees for the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare in March. Ghinassi, who is president and chief executive of Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care and senior vice president of Behavioral Health Services at RWJBarnabas Health, has served with the association since 1997.

Ruiz appointed director

Francisco Ruiz, MS, was appointed director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy in April. Ruiz’s background includes tenure with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focusing on the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. He is the first Latino to serve as office director.

Kern appointed distinguished professor

Howard Kern, MHA, was appointed by Old Dominion University as a distinguished professor of executive practice for the future Joint School of Public Health in April. Kern has dedicated more than 40 years to health care management and leadership. In this new appointment, he will contribute to shaping the educational landscape of the future school.

Rosenbloom selected chair

Trent Rosenbloom, MD, MPH, was selected to serve as chair of the Biomedical Informatics, Library and Data Sciences Review Committee of the National Library of Medicine in March. Rosenbloom, a professor of Biomedical Informatics, Medicine and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University, will serve a one-year term on the committee beginning June 1.

Crandall appointed chair

Marie Crandall, MD, MPH, FACS, was appointed chair of the Department of Surgery at Ohio’s MetroHealth System in March. Previously, Crandall served as chief of the Division of Acute Care Surgery and associate chair for research at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville.

Saunders named chair

Elissa Saunders, MSN, was appointed as chair of the Department of Nursing within the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in March. Saunders, who is also the director of the traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree Program, will oversee four nursing program tracks at the university.

Frey named chair

Benicio Frey, PhD, MD, MS, was named the first Homewood research chair in women’s mental health and depression by McMaster University in April. Frey is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences and medical director of the Women’s Health Concerns Clinic at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. He will serve a five-year term.

Iwuh named scholar

Public health student Adaure Iwuh was named a 2024 Harry S. Truman Scholar in April. Iwuh, a fourth-year undergraduate student at Wayne State University, is on track to graduate with a bachelor of science in public health in December. She was one of 60 students selected for the program, which recognizes aspiring leaders and rewards their commitment to public service.