Pam Parsons selected for new Equity and Health Fellowship
Richmond Memorial Health Foundation (RMHF) this week announced that Pam Parsons, Ph.D., GNP-BC, director of practice and community engagement at the VCU School of Nursing, is one 18 individuals from across the greater Richmond region selected to participate in a new Equity and Health Fellowship.
The Fellows are charged with helping RMHF develop an equity and health agenda, and serving as advocates in the region for that vision.
“Our Trustees are fully in support of this Fellowship and its goals,” said RMHF Board Chair Michele A.W. McKinnon. “We have been talking about equity for more than a year, but we recognized the need to help facilitate a cohesive regional conversation on this issue. I appreciate the enthusiasm of our new Fellows and their willingness to be ambassadors for equity, who can share their vision with their organizations, neighbors and communities.”
A panel of evaluators selected the 18 Fellows out of 82 applicants based on their vision for the region and commitment to equity.
The nine-month Fellowship brings together individuals from local government and nonprofit organizations actively working to foster equity and health in the city of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico and Powhatan. They will meet for five daylong sessions and a half-day closing session.
RMHF is providing grants of $12,000 to support organizations that are giving employees time to participate in the Fellowship. The funds are to be used for general operating support of the organization.
“This is a long-term commitment by these individuals and their organizations, and we are grateful for the widespread interest in this Fellowship,” said RMHF Trustee J.R. Hipple, co-chair of the Equity Task Force. “We are excited to join them as we begin to tell the story of a greater Richmond region that is more inclusive and equitable. RMHF and each of these organizations have been doing good work in this region, but together we can address the drivers of inequity and disparity.”
Parsons is project director for the Richmond Health and Wellness Program, a community-based, interprofessional care coordination program focused on improving the health of indigent, older adults. She also teaches at the VCU School of Nursing and maintains a clinical practice focused on complex care of the older adult.
