National Minority Quality Forum Announces 2018 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health Award Winners

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Minority Quality Forum is proud to announce the selection of the 2018 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health. After receiving hundreds of applications from healthcare professionals across the country, these 40 represent the next generation of thought leaders in reducing health disparities.

"Here at the NMQF, we are truly excited about this next class of honorees and recognizing them at our annual leadership summit," stated NMQF President & CEO Dr. Gary Puckrein. "The 2018 winners are doing amazing things that both better and diversify the healthcare marketplace.  They serve as positive role models for our next generation of leaders in minority health."

"I am excited to meet this year's 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health at the CBC Spring Health Braintrust," said Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust Chair Dr. Robin Kelly.  "Our country needs new leaders to fulfill the dream of eliminating health disparities in a generation.  Fresh ideas and new approaches are needed to decrease health inequalities for minority communities currently suffering from poor access to quality healthcare."

40 Under 40 recipients will receive their award at the 2018 NMQF Leadership Summit on Health Disparities Gala Dinner on April 17.  For more information on the 2018 NMQF Leadership Summit on Health Disparities and CBC Spring Health Braintrust please visit http://www.nmqf.org/2018-nmqf-leadership-summit-on-health-disparities-and-spring-health-braintrust/.

2018 Winners:

Vivian Jolley Bea, MD, MBS
MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper

Melynda Barnes, MD
ENT and Allergy Associates, LLP

Dhaval G. Bhanusali, MD
Health Digital Ventures

Alison Brown, MS, PhD
Tufts Medical Center

Jada Bush, PharmD
Walgreens

Kendrick T. Clack, MS, APRN, FNP-C, AAHIV-S
National Black Nurses Association, Inc.

Christopher Allen Clarke, MPA
University of Michigan School of Public Health

Tina Comissiong Dickson, Esq., MPA
Schneider Regional Medical Center

Sarah Johnson Conway, MD
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Adolfo G. Cuevas, PhD
Tufts University

Denise De Las Nueces, MD, MPH
Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program

Brandi Kaye Freeman, MD, MS
University of Colorado School of Medicine

Vivek Garg, MD, MBA
CareMore Health

Dalmacio Flores, PhD, ACRN
University of Pennsylvania

L'Issa L. Gates, MD, FAAP
Ochsner Health System

Nia Heard-Garris, MD, MSc
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago/Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Sophia O. Hector, MPH
Florida Department of Health-Hillsborough County

Joseph Johnson, DO
American Medical Student Association

Kaustubh Kale, MS, MSM
Aventusoft LLC

Joneigh S. Khaldun, MD, MPH, FACEP
Detroit Health Department

Dhruv Khullar, MD, MPP
Weill Cornell Medical College

LaTasha H. Lee, PhD, MPH
American Society of Hematology

Imani R Lewis, MHA, MPH, PCMH CCE
Meridian Health

Antonio Martinez
Imperial Beach Community Clinic

Denise A. Martinez, MD
Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa

Michelle Morse, MD, MPH
EqualHealth

Thaddeus Khangan Pham
Hawaii Department of Health

Nicole Lee Plenty, MD, MPH, MS
Community Health Network, Indianapolis, IN

La Roux Pendleton, MPH
California Department of Public Health

Jennifer L. Porter, MPH, MCHES
Children's National Health System

Lauren R. Powell, MPA, PhD
Virginia Department of Health

Nadia M. Richardson, PhD
No More Martyrs

Crystal A. Riley, PharmD, MHA, MBA
Baxter Healthcare Corporation

Amber Robins, MD, MBA
Georgetown University School of Medicine

Cedric L. Salone PharmD, MPH
Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital

Carlos S. Smith, DDS, MDiv
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry

Brintha Vasagar, MD, MPH
Tidelands Health MUSC Family Medicine Residency Program

Kevin S. Wang, MD, FAAFP
Swedish First Hill Family Medicine Residency Program

Christopher Watson, MD, MPH
Indiana University School of Medicine

B. Cameron Webb, MD, JD
University of Virginia School of Medicine

SOURCE National Minority Quality Forum