History
The Community Advisory Board (CAB) was established to provide community voices and perspectives to equitably help guide PHD data collection and analysis in key areas including:
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maternal and child health
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substance use
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COVID-19
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the effects of climate change on public health
The CAB is managed by the DPH Office of Population Health, Data Science, Research, and Epidemiology Division.
The Community Advisory Board is an essential link to our data partners and ensures that we are listening to the communities we serve.
CAB Objectives
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Help DPH develop analytic questions for public health topics and priority populations
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Provide community member feedback and input regarding DPH key analytic plans
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Implement a clear process for disseminating results and information to the public
- Provide input on the State Health Assessment (SHA) and State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP)
Vision
Build & Cultivate sustainable and responsible government-community-academic partnerships.
Mission
To create meaningful partnerships between community members, public health practitioners, and academic researchers by guiding the ethical use of data and holding the PHD accountable to producing relevant analyses that are translatable to community partners, and the general public.
Current CAB members
Joseph Gomes has a bachelor's in health studies and political science with a Master’s in Sustainable Development.Joseph has interests in History, Mental Health, STEM, Sociology & Urban Heat Islands. At Seven Hills Behavioral Health- Focused on Community Health Education and street outreach among individuals experiencing homelessness, mental health and substance use disorders. Provided case management, basic HIV/STI testing and linkages to relevant social services. At Health Imperatives- Focused on Community Health Education and street outreach among high-risk individuals in treatment centers, jails and prisons. Provided Health Education and Testing and Treatment for Substance Use Disorders, Hepatitis C and other STI’s. Collaborated with other regional agencies to advance the goals of the Local Opioid Task Force and Homeless Service Coalitions. For Volunteer work, was a part of Peace Corps South Africa which included Living in South Africa and worked towards the HIV/AIDS Community Health Outreach Program. Lived in a small village and worked at a drop-in center for local orphans and vulnerable children, teaching about health, nutrition and life skills. Conducted men’s groups discussing the balance between masculinity and toxic masculinity, men’s mental health and patriarchal systems of oppression and how they interact with culture.
Daisy Hernandez (CAB Secretary) is a native of Puerto Rico, resides in Western, MA. She identifies as a woman w/ lived experience (SUD, MH, and CJ). Daisy has dedicated her clinical social work career to community mental and behavioral health organizations within under-served communities. She has leveraged her lived experience, education, and bilingualism to support and advance racial justice and empower individuals who are over-represented in behavioral health and social services resulting from negative impacts of social determinants of health, including re-entry needs. Daisy professional career spans the entire spectrum of substance use disorder (prevention through recovery) from peer roles, management and workforce development. She currently works within workforce development as a nation-wide facilitator on topics related to mental health, substance use disorder, recovery, trauma-informed care, post-traumatic growth, stigma and bias, equity and inclusion, peer support services, reentry and recovery. As a Master’s Level bilingual clinician and LCSW in the state of MA she also fulfills clinical hours as a bilingual therapist within community mental health organization specializing in co-occurring and trauma disorders.
Nicole Lomerson, MPH is a Researcher at the Lurie Center for Disability Policy at Brandeis University, where her research is centered on perinatal health of women with disabilities and the needs of disabled parents. She earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan School of Public with an emphasis on maternal child health. Nicole has a particular interest in the needs of disabled parents in the NICU, and in developing the best methods to support those parents so they can care for their babies during what is often the most vulnerable time in the life of a family. She has spoken both nationally and internationally about the experiences of disabled parents who have had a baby in the NICU.
Azzy-Mae Ní Mháille is a 33 year old neurodivergent transfeminine non-binary person living, working, and organizing in the Greater Boston area. She is a PWUD/PWID (person who uses drugs / person who injects drugs), and she has been actively studying and consuming psychoactive substances for 18+ years. Additionally, prior to working in public health, Azzy-Mae engaged in the illicit substance trade for 9+ years, where she provided a great deal of ad-hoc drug education, harm reduction education, and psychedelic first-aid.
Azzy-Mae has been working in public health for 8 years. Having left a 12 year career in culinary arts to help open the first syringe exchange in her hometown of Gloucester in 2016, she continued to work on the North Shore until 2019 when she shifted to doing outreach work in Boston. Recently, Azzy-Mae managed a harm reduction program for trans/GNC folks as well as cis women; most of whom are experiencing houselessness, engaged in sex work, or consuming substances. Currently Azzy-Mae manages a Mobile Prevention program focusing on street-level harm reduction outreach and HIV/HCV/STI testing.Azzy-Mae sits on a statewide harm reduction advisory council, a public health data community advisory board, and does independent training and consulting for organizations and the general public. Azzy-Mae engages in a lot of off-hours public-facing low-threshold education through various social media platforms, primarily linkedin and instagram.
Outside of work, Azzy-Mae has engaged in political activism locally and nationally. Azzy-mae is a member of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) Boston branch, the Eastern Massachusetts Branch Representative of the New England Users Union, and has been involved in or provided support for organizations involved in PWUD liberation, Black liberation, Indigenous sovereignty, anti-fascism, anti-imperialism, disability justice, immigrant justice, housing + houselessness, labor, and LGBTQ+ liberation struggles.
Chelsey Patriss is the Executive Director of the Health Equity Partnership of North Central MA (CHNA 9). The CHNA 9 serves as the multisectoral convener of organizations across the North Central region to promote health equity through systems level change and collaboration. Chelsey led the CHNA 9 through the first regional Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) process in 2016 and they recently published the 2028 CHIP. Chelsey has been with the CHNA 9 for 11 years and is a passionate advocate for rural communities and for prevention, access, and empowerment as the foundations of health. She is proud of the strong collaborations the CHNA 9 has grown over the years, with a network of over 240 local, regional, and state organizations. Chelsey enjoys participating in community theater, traveling with her husband and two sons, and being a perpetually amateur gardener.
Leela Ramachandran (she/her) is the Policy Director for the Massachusetts Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Commission, where she leverages 8+ years of advocacy experience, including 4 years in research and evaluation, to advance data-driven policies that effectively serve impacted communities. Her background includes anti-racism organizing and political campaigns, and she was elected to the Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee in 2023. Leela also serves on the community advisory boards of a Planned Parenthood study focused on young people’s access to reproductive care and GBH. She holds a B.S. in Public Health Sciences and a certificate in Civic Engagement and Public Service from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Outside of her professional life, Leela enjoys cooking with loved ones, exploring her relationships to identity and liberation, supporting anti-carceral work, and reading. She also has lived/living experience of disability and being queer.
Adolis Ramos, BS, brings two decades of experience in the health industry, during which she has dedicated herself to advocating for underserved and marginalized communities. Her efforts focus on addressing health disparities that affect these populations. She is furthering her expertise by pursuing a master's degree in public health, which will enhance her ability to contribute to this vital area of work.
Through her extensive background and ongoing education, Ramos aims to develop effective strategies and interventions to improve health outcomes for those often overlooked in the healthcare system. Her commitment to social justice and equity in health care drives her initiatives, making her a valuable asset in the fight against health inequities.
Raja Sinjab LMHC, AT-R, PhD, is a Holistic Trauma Therapist; Lesley University Adjunct Faculty; Co-founder of Real Eyes Truth Inc. A Community Mental Health Initiative. Life can be difficult, and figuring things out is not always easy. Raja has been on a quest for better understanding the human experience since she was young. She just needed to know more. She shares the passion with people that she works with in that search for meaning whether it is—clinical work, research, consultation, teaching, or being a part of our non-profit community. Raja has a long history of lived experience and working with people in the community in all settings as a licensed trauma therapist, including private practice. She is trained in art therapy, therapeutic yoga, and sound healing as modalities for subconscious work. Her doctoral research focused on the empowerment of teenagers and identifying what the next generation needs for support.
Her and her husband decided to founded Real Eyes Truth Inc. a 501c3 non-profit as a community mental health initiative, because they saw the fracture in our own community. People are separate and loneliness is a major contributor to mental health symptoms. Healing through holistic practices to get to the root of trauma/intergenerational trauma through community work has been a priority. Bringing people together feels like our culture needs. Each facet of her profession is embedded with who she is as a person. Co-creating with other people to have deeper understanding of the human experience is the foundation of all that she does because she truly believes we need one another to get through this thing called life.
Hannah Tello completed her undergraduate degree in English at Mount Holyoke College. She later completed a Master’s in Education (Curriculum & Instruction) as well as a Master’s in Community Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In April 2020, Hannah received her Ph.D in Applied Psychology & Prevention Science. Her mixed methods research on birth, obstetric mistreatment, and subsequent postnatal experiences has been featured at conferences as far as London and Tokyo, as well as in academic journals including the Journal of Human Lactation and the Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing.
Before her current role, Hannah worked as the Coordinator for Teen Pregnancy Prevention at Lowell Community Health Center, where she oversaw the implementation of evidence-based comprehensive health curriculum for thousands of middle- and high-school students across Greater Lowell. She also continued her role as a editing & content consultant on several writing projects, including The APA Handbook of Community Psychology, Caring on the Clock: The Complexities of Paid Carework, and Sweet Sleep. She served as co-chair of the Maternal Child Health Task Force of the Greater Lowell Health Alliance, and is a founding member of their Breastfeeding Working Group. Currently, Hannah is the Director of Projects & Evaluation for the Greater Lowell Health Alliance. In this role, she is the primary architect & author of the Greater Lowell Community Health Needs Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan. She has also overseen the community-based implementation of major projects like the NIH-funded HEALing Communities Study to reduce opioid overdose death and federally-funded efforts to ensure disparities in both COVID morbidity and vaccination were at the forefront of community health efforts throughout Greater Lowell. Her primary work is to make community health data accessible, usable, and exciting to the organizations and individuals who are key stakeholders in public health throughout Greater Lowell.
Hannah & her husband Shawn live in Tyngsboro with their 13-year-old son Pax & 3-year-old daughter Ellie. Hannah spends her free time scouring antique stores for depression-era glass and contemplating if this is finally the year she learns how to garden (it’s not).
Howard Trietsch graduated Tufts School of Medicine in 1983 and went on to do his residency in OB/GYN at Baystate Medical Center, finishing in 1987, and shortly after became Board Certified. Howard joined a physician in private practice in Springfield that was closely aligned with the Medical Center. Over the next 30 plus years, he acted as the Managing Partner as they grew the group to the largest private OB/GYN practice in Western Mass. He retired from practice in 2020.
During his career, he became very active in policy and administrative issues, serving on multiple hospital committees including 8 yrs as a Trustee on the Medical Center Board and 5 yrs as a Director on The Board of Health New England. He was also active in the not for profit world, having served years on The Springfield Jewish Community Center Board and later as its president. He currently is chairing a Ware Town committee, discussing the future use of the former MaryLane Hospital campus and healthcare in the rural area. His interest is in healthcare inequities, especially maternal and women’s health.
Dr. Arin C. Whitman-Jemison, PharmD, BCOP, is a pharmacist specializing in oncology with a strong commitment to health equity. She is Board Certified in Oncology Pharmacy (BCOP) and has completed the ACCP Academy Certificate Program in Precision Medicine, focusing on pharmacogenomics. Dr. Whitman-Jemison earned her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree with a concentration in Geriatrics from Duquesne University’s Mylan School of Pharmacy and is licensed by the Pennsylvania and Massachusetts State Boards of Pharmacy.Currently, she serves as a Clinical Associate Professor at Western New England University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, where she teaches courses in Hematology-Oncology, prescription drug abuse, and community education, while also assisting in the Sterile Products Laboratory. She is dedicated to expanding opportunities in healthcare education, co-directing the MHC WNE Golden Bear and Jr. Golden Bear Summer Camp, which introduces middle and high school students to careers in pharmacy and health sciences in collaboration with the Massachusetts Health Council. Dr. Whitman-Jemison is deeply involved in mentorship and community engagement. She serves as Board Chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Massachusetts and MetroWest and is a member of the National Leadership Council for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) at Brown University, with an expected graduation in 2025, further strengthening her expertise in health equity and public health initiatives.
Hoda Yehia (CAB Chair) is a Public health professional with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and a Master’s in Public Health, with a concentration in Monitoring and Evaluation in Global Health from Boston University. I have worked in enhancing public health initiatives through data analysis, project management, and strategic consultation addressing the social determinants of health. My experience includes managing COVID-19 vaccine equity initiatives supporting immigrant and minority populations in Boston, supporting health equity research, demonstrating a strong commitment to advancing public health outcomes. I am adept at collaborating with cross-functional and interdisciplinary teams, managing high-stakes projects, and delivering actionable insights to drive public health advancements.
CAB Membership
The CAB is comprised of key community stakeholders who are members of or work with the following priority populations:
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Black, Indigenous, Asian/PI, Latina and Latino individuals, People of Color
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Individuals with disabilities and those who have access and functional needs
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Individuals experiencing homelessness or unstable housing status
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Individuals with a substance use disorder
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Individuals with mental illness
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Individuals with a history of incarceration
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Pregnant and post-partum people
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Individuals living in rural settings
To learn more
The Department of Public Health welcomes your interest. To learn more about the CAB or to inquire about membership, please email us at: DPH.PHD@mass.gov.