Steering Committee & Partner Network
The residents, clinicians, and institutions organizing to close the Bronx health gap.
Alister F. Martin, MD, MPP
Commissioner
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Dr. Alister Martin is the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. An emergency physician and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Martin served as a senior advisor in the office of Vice President Kamala Harris as a White House Fellow, and previously as a health policy advisor to Governor Peter Shumlin of Vermont and Congressman Raul Ruiz of California.
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Cristina Contreras
Chief Executive Officer
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITAL - LINCOLN
Cristina Contreras, LMSW, MPA, FABC, is a Dominican-American healthcare executive and community leader known for her significant contributions to public health in New York City. As the Chief Executive Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, she is been instrumental in transforming the Bronx facility into a model of excellence within the country’s largest municipal healthcare system.
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Imelda Tavas
Chief Administrative Officer
Essen Health Care
As Chief Administrative Officer at Essen Health Care, she serve as a key executive leadership team member guiding the largest physician-led integrated healthcare provider in NYS. Our organization extends far beyond traditional office-based care, providing vital services to homebound patients and comprehensive care management to vulnerable populations throughout the NY Metro area. Her role expanded with progressive responsibilities. She oversee services delivered at home, in Nursing Homes and the largest care management agency in NYS addressing health related social needs
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Victor Pichardo
Vice President - Government Affairs Community and Government Affairs
St. Barnabas Hospital Health System
Experienced Civil Servant with a proven track record in the hospital & health care industry. Skilled in Legislative Affairs, Fundraising, Community Organizing, Political Consulting, and State Government. Strong community and social services professional with a Bachelor of Arts (BA focused on Mass Communication/Sociology from the University at Buffalo.
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Dr. Maria-Isabel Roldos-Prosser
Associate Professor
School of Health Sciences, Human Services & Nursing | Lehman College
Dr. Maria-Isabel Roldos-Prosser is the Director of the CUNY Institute for Health Equity. The Institute for Health Equity (CIHE) is a CUNY-wide institute that coordinates research, teaching, service, and community engagement to eliminate health inequalities, reduce health disparities, and promote health.
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Mahnoor Jaura.
Director of Health and Human Services
The Office of The Bronx Borough President
With nearly a decade of experience in government and non-profit, she has worked with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City Mayor’s Office, New York City Council and non-profit organizations, to assess public health issues and advocate for policies, programs, and initiatives that support holistic health and wellness. Her work includes translating policy issues into clear messaging and synthesizing qualitative and quantitative data to inform strategy. She is particularly passionate about strengthening connections between institutions and the communities they serve, with a focus on inclusivity and equity
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Stephen Ritz
Founder
Green Bronx Machine
An internationally acclaimed, award-winning educator, author of best-selling book, The Power Of A Plant and Founder of Green Bronx Machine. Stephen is responsible for creating the first edible classroom in the world. He and his students have grown more than 165,000 pounds of vegetables in the South Bronx.
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Msgr. Donald Sakano
President and Chair
Highbridge Community Development Corporation
He is the President and Chair of the Highbridge Community Development Corporation, the non-profit owner and manager of 2700-units of housing in the South Bronx. He is the co-founder of Highbridge Voices founded in 1998 and the 33 Club (for Senior Citizens) in 1972 located in the Kips Bay area of Manhattan. Msgr. Sakano serves as chaplain of AOH Division 9 New York County as well as the AOH New York County Board.
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Fabián Wander
Director, Counseling Center and Health & Wellness | SDEM
Hostos Community College
Fabián Wander is the Director of the Health and Wellness Center at Hostos Community College, where he has dedicated nearly two decades to promoting health and wellness services. His background includes extensive experience in social work and mental health, contributing significantly to the college community's well-being . Fabián Wander's Professional Background Wander's career highlights include various roles and achievements. Experience — Fabián Wander has almost 20 years of experience in social work. Leadership Role — As the Director of the Health and Wellness Center, he oversees physical and mental health services at Hostos. Cultural Background — Originally from Argentina, Wander brings a diverse perspective to his work. Recognition — He was recently celebrated for his contributions to health and wellness at the college.
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Vanessa L. Gobson
Bronx Borough President
Office of the Bronx Borough President
Vanessa L. Gibson was elected as the 14th Bronx Borough President on November 2, 2021, and re-elected on November 4, 2025, entrusted with serving the borough’s vibrant and diverse population of over 1.4 million residents. A proud native New Yorker, Ms. Gibson has dedicated her career to serving the people of the West Bronx. Her journey began in January 2001, when she joined the New York State Assembly Intern Program while a student at the University of Albany. She was assigned to work with then-Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene, where she gained invaluable experience in legislative work, meeting attendance, and connecting with constituents and community groups.
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Alfredo Jones
Deputy Executive Director
NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx
Alfredo Jones is the Deputy Executive Director at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx, where he has worked for over eight years. He is committed to improving public health services in the Bronx, drawing from his personal experiences and background in the community. Jones emphasizes access to quality public health services for marginalized communities in the Bronx
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Christopher Mastromano, MBA
Chief Executive Officer
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx
Christopher Mastromano is a seasoned healthcare executive with more than 35 years of progressive experience in both hospital operations and patient care administration. Presently, he serves as CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals|Jacobi and North Central Bronx Hospitals, member facilities of the largest public health system in the country. The combined, the institutions account for 670-beds. The Jacobi Campus is a Level 1 Trauma Center, a regional Burn, Snakebite, and Hyperbaric Medicine Center, and a major teaching site for the Einstein College of Medicine. It has earned a coveted Center of Excellence designation in a number of clinical areas, including Bariatric Surgery, Breast Surgery, and Breast Imaging, as well as Quality Recognition for its Stroke Center, Maxillofacial Surgery Center, and accreditation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. The North Central Bronx campus is also a teaching site for both Einstein and the CUNY School of Medicine. It is Baby Friendly® designated, Newborn Safe Sleep Center certified, and earned a 2021 American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus Achievement Award.
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Sheikh Musa Drammeh
CEO
National Center for Health Equity
The National Center for Health Equity was launched to implement a range of programs dedicated to improving health equity outcomes in the Bronx as well as the other Boroughs of New York City, and beyond. The Lifestlye Lifespan campaign and center empower us, personally and in community, equally and equitably, to maintain health, prevent disease, improve well being and contribute to the improvement of the conditions in which we live. We encourage responsibility and accountability for the choices we make and, as stakeholders, seek the changes to our living conditions we require to thrive.
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Charmaine Ruddock
Project Director
BronxHealth REACH
has served as the Project Director for Bronx Health REACH since 2000. In this role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the project, leading community-based disease prevention initiatives and public policy efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities in the Bronx
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Melissa Cebollero
Associate Vice President of Community Affairs
https://montefioreeinstein.org/community/team
Melissa Cebollero is a Bronx native who is not afraid to take risks. engages with the Bronx community on a different level. She’s now an assistant vice president of community affairs at Montefiore Health System, one of the largest private employers in the Bronx. Montefiore is part of a multiorganizational coalition, #Not62, which began in 2009 to move the Bronx out of last place on the ranking of health outcomes in New York’s 62 counties.
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Elizabeth 'Liz" Spurrell-Huss
Director, Community Health Programs Community and Population Health Montefiore Einstein
Montefiore Einstein Health System
Elizabeth (Liz) Spurrell-Huss, MSW, MPH, is a prominent public health social work leader and educator based in New York. She serves as the Director of Health Equity Programs within the Office of Community and Population Health at Montefiore Einstein and acts as an educator in the Department of Family and Social Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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Fr. José Félix Ortega
Pastor
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Fr. José Félix Ortega is a priest of the Archdiocese of New York and pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church at 2380 Belmont Avenue in the Belmont / Arthur Avenue area of the Bronx. The parish is part of the Belmont Catholic Community. In the archdiocese's assignments announced July 1, 2023, he kept his role as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and also became pastor of St. Martin of Tours in the Bronx. He now leads both parishes.
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Chris Norwood
Founder and Retired Executive Director at Health People
Community Advocate - Founder and Retired Executive Director at Health People
Chris Norwood is a prominent figure in the Bronx, known for founding Health People, the largest peer health education and disease prevention organization in the United States. Her work focuses on improving health outcomes in underserved communities, particularly in the South Bronx
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