Bertha Carson-King (also a member of the Community Health and Wellness advocates)
Affiliations: Caring Circle, Area Agency on Aging, Hope Grows, Strong Women of Faith Breast Cancer Support Group
"I chose to join the advisory board and advocates group because our people need a voice on community boards to represent their needs. The work we do is meaningful because it ensures that our goals are aligned with the community it represents."
Ethel Clark-Griffin
Affiliations: Benton Harbor City Commission, Benton Harbor Public Library, Lory’s Place, Strong Women of Faith Group, League of Women Voters, Krasl Art Center, Heritage Museum
"Everyone deserves a great quality of life and I am a community organizer who can use my resources and positions to help bring education and health resources to the community."
James Stokes
Affiliations: Refreshing Fountains, Mosaic Christian Community Development Association
"I have a desire to see the quality of life improve in our area so that everyone has equal access to resources and are able to achieve their highest goals and aspirations. I want to see this community be healthy, physically, mentally, and economically."
Lee Reed
Affiliations: City of Benton Harbor Planning Commission, Community Grand Rounds, Southwest Michigan Association of REALTORS, Stokes Development
"I love helping people overcome barriers that prevent them from realizing their full potential."
Shaquille Turner
Affiliations: Berrien County Mental Health Coalition
"I feel like it’s my purpose to help others going through dark moments in their life and to let them know that someone cares. The more we engage as a community, the more people will talk."
Community Health and Wellness Advocates
The Community Health and Wellness Advocates provide expertise to ensure messaging is relevant and resonates with community members. They also provide perspectives on how the system can best reach everyone in the community and share insight into the development of community programs and events.
Dashuna Robinson
Affiliations: Benton Harbor Area Schools, Benton Harbor Housing Commission, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated
"This work allows me to provide input on the quality of equitable services provided by the health system. My goal is to help remove personal and community barriers that impact the health and wellness of Berrien County residents. Being aware and sharing important community education initiatives helps to create a positive impact on the quality of life for residents."
Dawn Corzine
Affiliations: New Heights Christian Community Development Association, First Church of God
"My purpose for joining the advocates group is to gain awareness of resources available to the community so I can inform those who are not aware or don’t understand how to get connected to them."
Diane Young
Affiliations: Benton Harbor Community Development Corporation, Caring Circle, Benton Harbor Juneteenth Cultural Awareness, Sisters from Another Mother, Benton Harbor Chapter Charms Inc.
"I enjoy being able to work with an amazing group of people who together, help inform and educate our community. It is important to stay abreast of everything happening, for the greater good of the community."
Jaime Cervantes (also a member of the Population Health Committee)
Affiliations: First Church of God, Lory’s Place, Carol’s Hope
"I’m passionate about finding solutions to communities disproportionately impacted by health inequities."
Kyna Johnson
Affiliations: Ferry Street Resource Center, Kingdom Business E.T.C., LifePlan, WeECHO Youth & Family Services
"I love being a voice for disadvantaged populations, linking people to resources and collaborating with like-minded individuals to elevate our communities. The work as an advocate is meaningful because it brings awareness to certain information that allows community members to live healthier and happier lifestyles."
Larry Carter
Affiliations: Boys and Girl Club of Benton Harbor
"I enjoy sharing information with my community and peers, and working with a great group of individuals who come together to improve life for residents."
LaToya Turner
Affiliations: Boys and Girl Club of Benton Harbor
"I’m interested in this work because I know that together we stand and divided we fall. It’s very important to have a unique collaboration of intelligent and honest individuals in our community who can come together in a meaningful way to help make a difference, in a positive way."
M’shannon Rockette
Affiliations: Benton Harbor Area Schools, Girls On the Run, Benton Harbor Chapter Charms Inc, Rebuilding Individual Character Habits Program, Martin Temple COGIC
"Knowledge remains to be a source of empowerment. I appreciate being able to provide valuable information that will benefit my community, especially youth, because it is crucial to bridging the gap within our socioeconomic systems."
Trenton Bowens
Affiliations: Benton Harbor School Board, Neighbors Organizing Against Racism Mayors Advisory Team
"I am interested in this work in because it empowers my community and allows me to work on educating and enhancing Indvidual's with knowledge."
Brook Thomas
Affiliations: Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Michigan, OutCenter of Southwest Michigan, Southwest Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, St. Joseph City Commission
"The health discrepancies between our wealthy and poor communities are atrocious. As an advocate for the vulnerable, I understand how important macro-level interventions are for disadvantaged communities and I want to be a part of the solution."
Cliff Allen
Affiliations: Michiana Youth Federation
"I am aware of the opportunities and investments others have made for me that have allowed me to get to where I am, and I want to do my part to reinvest in the local Benton Harbor community."
Sharon Henderson
Affiliations: City of Benton Harbor
"I am interested in this work because I want to help to re-establish trust, communication and accountability to the people in my community who deserve the best high quality health care that is available."
Steven McCoy
Affiliations: McCoy’s Memorial COGIC, Vision of Wisdom, Churches of God in Christ Organization, Southwest Michigan Ministerial Alliance
"I feel that I can contribute and bring influence to the community and the organization when it comes to Health Equity."
Population Health Committee
The Population Health Committee is a sub-committee of the Corewell Health Lakeland Hospital Board of Directors. They serve as stewards of the population health department and help to ensure that their efforts align with the entire health system’s health equity efforts.
Anna Murphy
Affiliations: Kinexus Group, Strategic Leadership Council, Berrien Health Consortium, Michigan Association of United Way, Corewell Health Foundation Southwest Michigan, Leadership Accelerator, Michigan Works
"This work is closely aligned with the work of United Way Southwest Michigan. I believe that I can offer a local non-profit perspective as well as contribute to solutions. Personally, I want to see people have healthy options and choices to ensure they can live their best life."
Betsy Lozoff, MD
Affiliations: Departments of Pediatrics and Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Michigan, Berrien Immigrant Solidarity Network
"My concern about health disparities, inequalities, and inequities grew out of my experience conducting nutrition research in developing countries. Since moving to the area, this background led me to help increase awareness of issues affecting immigrants."
David Schaffer
Affiliations: Kruggel Lawton
"I joined this committee to help improve the life experience in our community for everyone."
Ken O’Neill, MD
Affiliations: Former Vice President of Spectrum Health Lakeland
"I am committed to improving the wellbeing of all our community members. Sometimes, the greatest impact can be seen by focusing on those with the most needs."
Elizabeth McCree
Affiliations: State Bar of Michigan
"Trust in our health system is necessary for overall equity. Residents have had a longstanding distrust and a lack of understanding and engagement with this system. I hope my work helps to bridge those divides."
Josh Cosner
Affiliations: Kinexus Group, Michigan Works, United Way of Southwest Michigan, Peat’s Cider Social
"I feel I can add value by offering a different perspective to the health system. It is also personal to me, and I have a desire to ensure everyone has access to quality care. "
Lynn Kellogg
Affiliations:Healthy Berrien Consortium, Berrien County Human Services Coordinating Council, Michigan’s Great Southwest Strategic Leadership Council, National Care Coordination Coalition, USAging, Area Agency on Aging
"The communities of Southwest Michigan are my home. My career’s been based on developing businesses, products and services to assure choices to enable all persons to achieve maximum independence for life. I have a passion for cultivating broad visions inclusive of helping with societal and environmental issues."