Tamiyka Rose has been appointed by Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan to serve as the city's first health equity ambassador. The new position will advise the mayor and also his staff on policy initiatives and lead the city's efforts to decrease the racial and ethnic disparities, specifically premature birth and also infant mortality rates.
"We cannot and will not accept health disparities in our community.Every Akron resident deserves an equal chance at a long, healthy, and successful life - and nothing is more important that ensuring that our children are provided with every opportunity to thrive, regardless of race, economic status, or zip code. Tamiyka's significant experience and insight will be invaluable in helping us tackle these issues as a community," Horrigan said in a news release.
Rose, who is the former vice president of government relations for the MetroHealth System, will work with the assistant to mayor for the education, health, and families. Together, they will collaborate with the community partners and also public health organizations to create policy initiatives which aim to reduce the community health disparities.
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The need for a position to coordinate with the ongoing efforts to reduce the racial disparities in premature birth and infant mortality arose from the city's Inaugural Health Equity Summit held in the last fall. Akron Children's Hospital, Summa Health and also Cleveland Clinic Akron General together will pay about $30,000 of the $45,000 salary for the two years, the city spokeswoman Ellen Lander said.
"I am honored that Mayor Horrigan and the hospital systems chose me to lead the efforts in this very important initiative. I spent the first 365 days of my life on Montgomery Street in Akron. I believe that every child should have the same opportunities that I had, and that starts by making it to day 366 and beyond. In Akron, we will not allow a person's race or zip code to determine their life expectancy," Rose said in a news release.
Rose, a Macedonia resident, holds a master's degree in the public administration and a also bachelor's degree in political science from the Ohio State University.
Mrudula Duddempudi.
