About Us
Our TeamDriving Better Health
Together
The Health Equity Collective uses a population health and collaborative-ecosystem building approach to implement shared strategies and systemically improve health equity across the Greater Houston region. We use the Collective Impact model and Health Equity Framework to align the social determinants of health (SDOH) interventions across our region for greater impact. Each level of the Health Equity Collective has a set of goals as we work together to drive better health.
Backbone Leads
Following the FSG Guidance for backbone role, the three backbone organizations are focused on the six functions of backbone leads:
- Guiding vision and strategy
- Supporting aligned activities
- Establishing shared measurement practices
- Cultivating community engagement and ownership
- Advancing policy
- Mobilizing resources
- Guiding vision and strategy
- Supporting aligned activities
- Establishing shared measurement practices
- Cultivating community engagement and ownership
- Advancing policy
- Mobilizing resources
TANWEER KALEEMULLAH
JD, LLM, MHA/MBA – HARRIS
COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH
HEIDI MCPHERSON
MPH – UTHEALTH
EMILY PAUL
MPH – AMERICAN
HEART ASSOCIATION
SHREELA SHARMA
PHD, RD, LD – UTHEALTH
STEERING COMMITTEE
The steering committee develops collective strategy, goals, and objectives for workgroups to facilitate their progress.
ERIC BAKOTA
MS – HARRIS COUNTY
PUBLIC HEALTH
DEBORAH BANERJEE
PHD – CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT
NIKKI BROWNING
MA – HOUSTON
FOOD BANK
NANCY CORREA
MPH – TEXAS
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
MELISA DANHO
MPH, RD, LD –
UTHEALTH
HOPE GALVAN
MS, RN, CVRN-BC,
CDE – HARRIS HEALTH
DEBORAH GANELIN
MEMORIAL HERMANN
SEAN HALEY
PHD – CCPPI
ALICIA JOHNSTON
MA – HUMANA
TANWEER KALEEMULLAH
JD, llm, mha/mba – HARRIS
COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH
STACI LOFTON
JD, MPH – HARRIS
COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH
HEIDI MCPHERSON
MPH – UTHEALTH
BOB MORROW
MD, MBA – UTHEALTH
EMILY PAUL
MPH – AMERICAN
HEART ASSOCIATION
RUTH RECHIS
PHD – MD ANDERSON
VERONICA REYES
BA – BLUE CROSS BLUE
SHIELD OF TEXAS
TIM SCHAUER
MS – CORNERSTONE
SHREELA SHARMA
PHD, RD, LD – UTHEALTH
NADIA SIDDIQUI
MPH – TEXAS HEALTH INSTITUTE
ANWAR SIRAJUDDIN
MS – HARRIS HEALTH
MICHAEL T. WALSH JR.
MHA – MD ANDERSON
MON-JU WU
PHD – WELNITY
ERIC BAKOTA
MS – HARRIS COUNTY
PUBLIC HEALTH
DEBORAH BANERJEE
PHD – CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT
NIKKI BROWNING
MA – HOUSTON
FOOD BANK
NANCY CORREA
MPH – TEXAS
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
MELISA DANHO
MPH, RD, LD –
UTHEALTH
HOPE GALVAN
MS, RN, CVRN-BC,
CDE – HARRIS HEALTH
DEBORAH GANELIN
MEMORIAL HERMANN
SEAN HALEY
PHD – CCPPI
ALICIA JOHNSTON
MA – HUMANA
TANWEER KALEEMULLAH
JD, llm, mha/mba – HARRIS
COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH
STACI LOFTON
JD, MPH – HARRIS
COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH
HEIDI MCPHERSON
MPH – UTHEALTH
BOB MORROW
MD, MBA – UTHEALTH
EMILY PAUL
MPH – AMERICAN
HEART ASSOCIATION
RUTH RECHIS
PHD – MD ANDERSON
VERONICA REYES
BA – BLUE CROSS BLUE
SHIELD OF TEXAS
TIM SCHAUER
MS – CORNERSTONE
SHREELA SHARMA
PHD, RD, LD – UTHEALTH
NADIA SIDDIQUI
MPH – TEXAS HEALTH INSTITUTE
ANWAR SIRAJUDDIN
MS – HARRIS HEALTH
MICHAEL T. WALSH JR.
MHA – MD ANDERSON
MON-JU WU
PHD – WELNITY
EXECUTIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
This committee is composed of executive leaders in Houston’s leading health organizations and shares expertise for the Collective’s mission and developing ecosystem enhancements that improve health equity across our region.
COMING SOON!
WORKGROUPS
The workgroups represent the various dimensions of the Collective’s SDOH work and provide recommendations for the Steering Committee and Collective based on the outcomes of the workgroup tasks.
COALITIONS ALIGNMENT:
This workgroup connects the Collective’s SDOH efforts with other SDOH efforts to encourage alignment and maximize our impact.
COMMUNICATIONS:
This workgroup develops strategies to increase awareness of the Collective’s impact and promotes engagement in multi-sectoral SDOH efforts.
COMMUNITY VOICE:
This workgroup links the voice of those who are the intended beneficiaries of the Collective’s efforts to the design and the development of the work.
DATA SHARING ECOSYSTEM:
This workgroup seeks to improve the data sharing ecosystem, network engagement or data sharing, and technical capacity for population-level data analysis. View Data Sharing Ecosystem to learn more about this work.
FRAMEWORK & COMMON METRICS:
This workgroup seeks to establish an SDOH framework to benchmark the broad efforts of this collective impact effort. This process includes establishing standard measures and procedures for use across various member organizations and sectors to measure SDOH interventions and impact.
FOOD SECURITY:
This workgroup seeks to develop a shared set of evidenced-based interventions to improve food security and healthy food intake. These efforts will build on and improve existing food security efforts.
HEALTH POLICY:
This workgroup connects the Collective’s SDOH efforts to existing policy and advocacy platforms and SDOH policy efforts.
MENTAL HEALTH & SUBSTANCE USE:
Coming Soon!
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Members come from various sectors: non-profit, healthcare, government, locally grown grassroots efforts, school districts, and more. Members align their respective organizational efforts with the broader Collective for local impact.
