The City of Akron has appointed its first Health Equity Ambassador to help decrease racial and ethnic health disparities. Mayor Dan Horrigan has appointed Tamiyka Rose to the position. The mayor’s chief of staff, James Hardy says Rose will first focus on lowering the high infant mortality rate in the city’s African-American community. Hardy says her job will be coordinating the many existing programs now working on the issue.
“So Tamiyka’s role is going to be, not necessarily in the creation of new programs, but rather, through her, bring some leadership and coordination across sectors and across the community to develop those metrics and goals everyone can agree upon and get everyone rowing in the same director so we can measure change.”
Hardy says once Rose has tackled the infant mortality issue, she will focus other health issue in Akron’s minority community, such as diabetes, heart disease and asthma. Rose is a former Vice President of Government Relations for the MetroHealth System. Her position is funded by Akron Children’s Hospital, Summa Health, and Cleveland Clinic Akron General.
