2024-2026 Health Equity Fellowship Cohort
Omega Augustus, MSN, RN, CPXP
One Brooklyn Health
Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health
Omega Augustus is a dynamic nursing leader with over a decade of experience in nursing operations and patient care management. Currently serving as an Associate Director of Nursing at One Brooklyn Health, Omega drives quality improvement initiatives that enhance patient safety and satisfaction while actively contributing as a member of the Health Equity Core Team. She is passionate about advancing health equity and ensuring historically marginalized communities receive the care they deserve.
A skilled communicator and mentor, Omega excels in team leadership, strategic planning, and financial management, fostering a collaborative environment among diverse healthcare professionals. In her previous roles as Patient Care Director in the Emergency Department and Nurse Manager, she implemented successful recruitment and retention strategies that elevated patient care quality.
With a Master of Science in Nursing in Leadership and certification as a Patient Experience Professional, Omega is deeply committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring innovative healthcare solutions and engaging with community health initiatives that champion equity.
Action Learning Project: Advancing a culture of health equity by establishing a Health Equity Advisory Board to inform the system’s Community Health Needs Assessment and strategies to address racial inequities in health outcomes.
Micaela Bayard, MD
Mount Sinai/Mount Sinai Queens
Lupus and Allied Diseases Association, Inc.
Micaela F. Bayard, MD is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Bayard practices at Mount Sinai Queens, where she is committed to providing patient-centered and goal-concordant care to the diverse needs of the community. She has a special interest in lupus advocacy and is the founder of a lupus support group at her hospital, as well as a co-host for an educational lupus webinar. Within the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, she is a pathophysiology course director and serves on the Department of Medicine Diversity Committee. Dr. Bayard served on the American College of Rheumatology Diversity Equity and Inclusion Task Force. Before medical school, she worked at the National Institutes of Health on research examining key factors in minority participation in clinical trials and continues to have interest in inclusive clinical trials.
Dr. Bayard received her medical degree in 2012 from The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, completed her internal medicine residency at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens in 2015, and completed her fellowship in Rheumatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2017.
Action Learning Project: Identify and address barriers to accessible ambulatory care and disease-related social support for patients with Lupus.
Joshua Amit Budhu, MD, MS, MPH
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York Immigration Coalition
Joshua A. Budhu, MD, MS, MPH, is a neuro-oncologist, Nicholls-Biondi Diversity Clinical Scientist Faculty Scholar, and health equity researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is also the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion editor for the Neurology Journal and the co-chair of the Society for Neuro-Oncology’s Diversity and Women’s Committee. He entered medicine after the tragic death of his brother exposed him to the reality of health care disparities and how the social determinants of health affect our lives. His goal is to eliminate health disparities and work towards a more equitable healthcare system. His research focuses on improving representation in clinical trials, Medicaid outcomes, and socioeconomic interventions for underprivileged populations. Dr. Budhu is a current Health Affairs Health Equity Fellow, 2022-2023 Public Voices Fellow through AcademyHealth, and a 2021-2022 Commonwealth Fund Fellow in Minority Health Policy at Harvard University. He received his MD from Morehouse School of Medicine and completed his neurology residency and neuro-oncology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Action Learning Project: Address limited access to health care for undocumented immigrants.
Chanelle M. Diaz, MD, MPH
NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Make the Road
Dr. Diaz is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and a board-certified General Internist practicing primary care in New York City. She is the Internal Medicine Medical Director for NewYork-Presbyterian’s Ambulatory Care Network at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital and the Charles Rangel Community Health Center. She is also the Medical Director for the Adult Community Health Worker Program at NewYork-Presbyterian's Center for Community Health Navigation. She grew up in Miami, Florida. She attended Williams College, received her MD and MPH from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and completed her residency training in Primary Care and Social Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York. Dr. Diaz has been selected for the National Hispanic Medical Association's Top 40 Under 40 List and received the AMSA Women Leaders in Medicine Award.
Dr. Diaz’s work focuses on community-engaged approaches to address immigrant health inequities. She volunteers with the Physician for Human Rights Asylum Network where she providers forensic medical examinations for survivors of torture and/or trauma. She is a volunteer and steering committee member of the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Medical Providers Network, a community-medical-legal partnership linking volunteer clinicians to individuals with serious medical conditions in immigration prisons to assess and document unmet medical needs. Dr. Diaz has published peer reviewed studies and opinion pieces in the media on the health harms of immigration detention. She has collaborated with other medical and legal experts to develop best practices in the medical evaluation of individuals in immigration detention and has trained dozens of residents and medical students. Dr. Diaz is committed to using her voice as a physician to uplift human rights, health justice, and equity.
Action Learning Project: Implement immigration-informed care with an emphasis on trust building and connecting non-citizen patients to preventive care and community-based resources.
Gwendolyne Anyanate Jack, MD, MPH
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medicine - Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism
Word of Life International, Inc.
Dr. (Anyanate) Gwendolyne Jack is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University. She earned her Masters of Public Health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She earned her Medical Doctorate at Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia. She completed her internship and Internal Medicine Residency at Johns Hopkins Bayview in Baltimore. She completed her fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard.
She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology. She is the Lead of the Ambulatory Diabetes Program at Weill Cornell Medicine Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. She is the Director of NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Faculty Scholars in Health Equity Program and serves as the Social Determinants of Health(SDoH) Champion for Weill Cornell Medicine. She currently is Advisor of the American Diabetes Association(ADA) Diabetes Technology Interest Group, and serves on the Editorial Board for ADA’s Diabetes Spectrum publication. She is the Vice Chair of National Medical Association(NMA) Region 1. She has been an invited speaker to several academic and community presentations on prevention/management of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as served as co-author on several publications. She has received awards for Excellence in Medical Education and was named in the National Minority Quality Forum 40 under 40 Leaders in Health list. Dr. Jack is passionate about medical education, quality improvement initiatives, health equity, and enhancing the patient-physician-community partnership.
Action Learning Project: Develop a health-based curriculum for students involved in a school-based community garden that will include materials from Weill Cornell Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and the Word of Life Inc. community-based organization, with the goal of addressing food insecurity and highlighting the role of nutrition in reducing the risk of cardiometabolic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Monique Collier Nickles, MD
NYC H+H/Lincoln Medical Center
Public Health Solutions
Dr. Monique Collier Nickles, the Pediatric and Adolescent Ambulatory Care Practice Chief at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, is a dedicated physician with a proven track record of providing exceptional care and improving patient outcomes. Overseeing a practice that supports over 35,000 annual patient visits, she leads a team of clinicians and staff to deliver primary care, reproductive, subspecialty, consultative, and supportive services to children and adolescents.
Dr. Nickles' innovative approach to healthcare delivery has been instrumental in enhancing patient care and addressing community health needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she spearheaded the successful implementation of telemedicine within her practice, increasing virtual patient care utilization by 100%. Additionally, her commitment to immunization compliance led to the development of minimal contact "fast check" nursing visits, ensuring rates remained above 80%.
Beyond her departmental responsibilities, Dr. Nickles plays a vital role in advancing ambulatory care at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln. She actively participates in initiatives to enhance the patient care experience, expand pediatric express care services, and ensure hospital compliance and readiness with Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals.
A dedicated community advocate, Dr. Nickles is involved in outreach programs such as the Bronx Teen Connection and serves on the Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey Board of Directors. Her leadership and commitment to addressing health equity and social determinants of health have been recognized with awards from organizations like the Bronx Medical Society, the City of New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Bureau of Immunization, and the Harlem Fine Arts Show.
Dr. Nickles' academic achievements are equally impressive. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Maryland at College Park with a BS degree in General Business and earned her medical degree from Rutgers Medical School. She completed her pediatric residency at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and an adolescent medicine fellowship at Children's Hospital at Montefiore.
Action Learning Project: Address the disparity in access to nutritious food for underserved populations in the South Bronx.
Fehintola Orisamolu, DNP, CPNP
New York-Presbyterian/Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
Sickle Cell/Thalassemia Patients Network
Fehintola (Tola) Orisamolu is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner with over nine years of clinical experience in hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplant. Tola is committed to providing holistic, family-centered care to a diverse patient population. She currently serves as a nurse practitioner at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where she co-manages the care of children and adolescents with benign hematologic disorders. She is particularly passionate about her involvement in BMH’s robust sickle cell program.
Tola's extensive training includes a fellowship at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, where she gained fundamental experience in comprehensive pediatric care. Her professional journey is marked by significant contributions to clinical research and community outreach. Tola has co-authored several publications in medical journals and presented her work at national symposia. She is actively involved in leadership roles, including serving as co-chair of her hospital’s NP community outreach committee, where she partners with CBOs to generate civic engagement opportunities for fellow NPs.
Tola holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Science in nursing from Columbia University, as well as a BSN from Drexel University. Her dedication to interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based practice continues to drive her mission to improve patient outcomes and advance pediatric care.
Action Learning Project: Incorporate yoga and meditative journaling into health care services, specifically for patients impacted by sickle cell anemia and their caregivers.
Pascale M. White, MD, MBA, MS, FACG
Mount Sinai Hospital
Boriken Neighborhood Health Center
Pascale M. White, MD, MBA, MS, FACG, is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Gastroenterology division at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. From 2017 to 2024, she directed the Gastroenterology Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital. Currently, as the inaugural Director of Health Equity in Action for Liver and Digestive Diseases (H.E.A.L.D.), Dr. White spearheads initiatives to enhance equitable access to care within the GI and Liver divisions.
Dr. White earned her undergraduate degree in Biology from Barnard College of Columbia University and obtained her medical degree from The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at NYU School of Medicine, where she was appointed Chief Resident, followed by a Gastroenterology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Additionally, she holds an MBA and a
Master of Science in Healthcare Policy and Research with a focus on Healthcare Leadership from Cornell University.
Her clinical work and research emphasize colorectal cancer screening in underserved communities. She has published on screening barriers and co-authored guidelines for colorectal cancer screening in African Americans for the American College of Gastroenterology. Dr. White actively participates in multiple committees, including New York City’s Citywide Colorectal Cancer Control Coalition (C5) and the American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. She is a Co-Founder of the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH).
Action Learning Project: Increase colorectal cancer screening and Hepatitis B/C screening by improving access to screening services.