reflect on her incredible life and work. Her dogged persistence and resilience show that nothing is impossible and that we can overcome any challenge to become the best version of ourselves.
Legendary physician Dr. Lena Frances Edwards will go down in history as a trailblazing woman who pushed boundaries, battled for equality, and revolutionized healthcare.
Modern Day Lena Frances Edwards
While finding an exact modern equivalent can be challenging, Dr. Aletha Maybank could be considered. Dr. Maybank is a prominent physician and the Chief Health Equity Officer at the American Medical Association, focusing on issues related to health disparities and equity, continuing the legacy of individuals like Lena Frances Edwards in addressing healthcare inequalities.
Dr. Maybank was the Founding Deputy Commissioner for the Center for Health Equity at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (2014) before joining the AMA. The Centre was lauded by NYC leadership, the CDC, and the WHO for its equitable initiatives and corporate culture change. She helped promote neighborhood equality and the Department’s place-based health equity strategy. She pioneered work as Founding Director of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services Office of Minority Health (2006).
Dr. Maybank has taught medical and public health students about health disparities, leadership and management, physician advocacy, and community organizing. Dr. Maybank co-founded “We Are Doc McStuffins” in 2012 with a group of Black women medical leaders to raise awareness of diversity in medicine.
She is a sought-after health expert on NPR, MSNBC, NewsOne, Roland Martin, the Lancet, and the Journal of the American Medical Association. Recently, she was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey and wrote “The Pandemic’s Missing Data” for the New York Times to raise awareness of US structural inequalities owing to her leadership in COVID-19 response efforts. The bi-weekly AMA online series “Prioritizing Equity” highlights doctors championing equity in COVID-19 response efforts.
Doctor Maybank has a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University, an M.D. from Temple University, and an M.P.H. from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Her specialty is pediatrics and preventive medicine/public health.