Dr. Pamies sworn-in as chair of HHS advisory committee

Dr. Pamies, third from right, takes his oath as new chair of the HHS Advisory Committee on Minority Health. Six other health care experts will serve with him on this committee.

Rubens Pamies, M.D., UNMC vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean for graduate studies, was recently sworn-in as a new member and chairman of The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Advisory Committee on Minority Health. The committee is part of the Office on Minority Health.

Dr. Pamies will lead the group in its implementation of public policies to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority groups. In addition, the group will evaluate the education of health professionals and recommend methods to decrease health disparities and outcomes.

Joining Dr. Pamies on this committee are six health care experts from across the United States:

• Olveen Carrasquillo, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and health policy, Columbia University;
  
• Gale Dine-Chacon, M.D., associate professor, family and community medicine and director, Center for Native American Health and associate vice president for Native American health, University of New Mexico, Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, N.M.;
  
• Edward Martinez, senior consultant, National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, Viroqua, Wisc.;
  
• Kelly Moore, M.D., visiting associate professor, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Denver;
  
• Marguerite Ro, Dr. P.H., deputy director, policy and programs, Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum, San Francisco; and
  
• Oreta Mapu Togafau, Dr. P.A., senior policy adviser to the governor, American Samoa.