Diana M. Bonta Appointed to Advisory Committee on Minority Health for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
2008-05-06 23:35:01 -
www.kaiserpermanente.org - Diana M. Bonta, vice president of public affairs for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, Southern California region, has been appointed to serve on the Advisory Committee on Minority Health, a program within the Office of Minority Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that advises and counsels the HHS Secretary on public health program activities that impact racial and ethnic minority populations.
The 12 committee members, who serve for four years, must have expertise regarding issues of minority health, and are selected based on nominations received from across the U.S.
"Diana is a visionary leader, with experience in launching major health initiatives that have direct impact on improving the health of minority communities throughout California," said Benjamin Chu, MD, MPH, MACP, president of Kaiser Permanente Southern California. "She is a seasoned, innovative thinker who will make a major contribution to the Advisory Committee on Minority Health and to this nation's health policy for years to come."
Diana M Bonta, RN, DrPH, is responsible for setting Kaiser Permanente's regional policy agenda, and provides leadership and oversight for Kaiser Permanente's public affairs and community benefit programs, internal communications, media relations and government relations. Previously, Dr. Bonta served as Director for the State of California's Department of Health Services, leading initiatives to address critical public health issues and health protection programs for 35 million California residents. She administered the State's Medicaid program and increased access to healthcare for an additional one million uninsured children through MediCal and Healthy Families program expansions. Prior to her work at the state level, Bonta served as the Director of Health and Human Services for the City of Long Beach.
Bonta is an adjunct associate professor at the University of California Los Angeles where she received her doctorate and masters degrees in public health. A New York City native, she received her bachelor's degree in nursing from the State University of New York at Buffalo and her associate of arts degree in nursing from Bronx Community College.
Bonta has received numerous awards including the American Public Health Association Presidential Citation Award, and was most recently named by Hispanic Business Magazine as a finalist for the 2008 Woman of the Year.
The Committee is meeting today, May 6, 2008, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Hotel, 5401 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, Arizona. The Committee will hear presentations on ethnic health disparities, including HHS initiatives on public health considerations involving obesity and a presentation on strategies to improve the health of Native American children. Meetings are open to the public and there will be time set aside for public comment. For a list of all members of the Advisory Committee on Minority Health, along with upcoming meeting dates and agendas, go to: www.omhrc.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=1922
Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program with Southern California headquarters in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.3 million members in Southern California. Today it encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region includes more than 49,919 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 6,000 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at www.kaiserpermanente.org.
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