(Washington, D.C.) February 2, 2015--AcademyHealth announced today the five individuals selected for the AcademyHealth/Aetna Foundation Scholars in Residence Fellowship Program. Housed within the AcademyHealth Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Minority Engagement in HSR Research, the AcademyHealth/Aetna Foundation Scholars in Residence Fellowship is designed to encourage underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities* in health services research by providing professional training and networking activities.
The 2015 AcademyHealth/Aetna Foundation Scholars in Residence Fellows are:
- -Jameta Barlow, Ph.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Women and Health, Towson University
-Kimberly Kay Lopez, Dr.PH, M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
-Jennifer Stewart, Ph.D, RN, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing
-Reginald Tucker-Seeley, Sc.D., Sc.M., M.A., Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health and Center for Community Based Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
-Tiffany Williams, D.N.P., M.S.N., B.S.N., Assistant Professor, Medical University of South Carolina, College of Nursing
The Fellowship targets junior and mid-career level academics and clinical practitioners who are conducting disparities research with a focus on population health. In addition to mentoring, research support and networking provided by AcademyHealth, the Aetna Foundation will host the fellows in Hartford, CT for up to one week and provide a stipend to support a disparities research project.
"AcademyHealth believes that the inclusion of diverse individuals, with equally diverse perspectives and training, leads to a richer and more nuanced understanding of health and health care issues," said AcademyHealth President and CEO Dr. Lisa Simpson. As the professional society for health services research, we have an important role to play in supporting diversity among our members and the field at large, and we're grateful to our partners at the Aetna Foundation for making this Fellowship possible."
"By cultivating a diverse generation of health care researchers we are opening the field to new approaches, attitudes and points of view. We're excited to see these future leaders advance their skills through this program, and know they will contribute to addressing the inequities that continue to be prevalent in health care," said Aetna Foundation President Garth Graham, M.D., MPH.
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The AcademyHealth/Aetna Foundation Scholars in Residence Fellowship runs from January 2015 to July 2015. For more information, please visit: http://www.academyhealth.org/aetnafellowship. To read an interview between Drs. Graham and Simpson on efforts to bridge the gap in health care research, please visit the Aetna Website.
About AcademyHealth
AcademyHealth is a leading national organization serving the fields of health services and policy research and the professionals who produce and use this important work. Together with our members, we offer programs and services that support the development and use of rigorous, relevant and timely evidence to increase the quality, accessibility, and value of health care, to reduce disparities, and to improve health. A trusted broker of information, AcademyHealth brings stakeholders together to address the current and future needs of an evolving health system, inform health policy, and translate evidence into action.
About the Aetna Foundation
The Aetna Foundation, Inc. is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET). Since 1980, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed more than $445 million in grants and sponsorships. As a national health foundation, we promote wellness, health, and access to high-quality health care for everyone. This work is enhanced by the time and commitment of Aetna employees, who have volunteered 3.4 million hours since 2003. For more information, visit http://www.aetnafoundation.org.
**AcademyHealth defines underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities in the field of HSR as the following groups: Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders. This definition is supported by findings of a recent study by Johnson and Holve.