March 23, 2022 (Cleveland, OH) — The Mt. Sinai Health Foundation has appointed Rachel Oscar to the position of program officer.  Ms. Oscar will begin her duties in late April 2022.

In January 2020, Mt. Sinai Directors approved an expanded strategic approach beyond grantmaking to improve population health in Greater Cleveland. Central to this expanded vision is recognition that philanthropy can only go so far in driving health improvement and that cross-sector collaboration, public-private partnerships, and policy change—supported by greater human capital as well as financial capital—are pivotal to creating lasting impact. Program staff expansion is the realization of this enhanced vision.

Ms. Oscar comes to the Foundation from the Campus District, Inc. Community Development Organization where she has served as Director of Programming and Community Engagement for the past five years.  In this role she increased collaboration, built relationships and advanced neighbor-identified goals in order to build a stronger connection between institutional and residential members of the Campus District.

Ms. Oscar earned a Bachelor’s Degree in history from Kenyon College and a Master’s Degree in urban planning and development from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.  A native Clevelander, Ms. Oscar is a graduate of Gross Schechter Day School and Shaker Heights High School.  She grew up at B’nai Jeshurun Congregation and among her many accomplishments, in 2018 co-created Ad HaKol, the Racial Equity Passover Seder, bringing together Jewish Clevelanders and Black Glenville residents to celebrate the Jewish holiday of freedom from slavery.

“We are fortunate to have someone with Rachel’s background join our program staff,” said Foundation President Mitchell Balk. “With Rachel’s appointment, Mt. Sinai is doubling-down on its commitment to pursuing health equity through convening, advocacy, and strategic grantmaking. Rachel’s track record in racial equity reflects the Foundation’s continued movement upstream to address the causes of health disparities that disproportionately burden Black people and other people of color. With Rachel’s unique skills, the Foundation will be even better positioned to support our region’s health and human services agencies in ensuring all Clevelanders have the opportunity to be as healthy as they can be.”   Working with Mt. Sinai Vice President, Strategy, Daniel Cohn, and Program Officer Adam Nation, Oscar will support the Foundation’s strategic agenda related to primary prevention, population health, and health policy.

Despite skyrocketing infections, the evidence remains clear: vaccination against the coronavirus drastically reduces the likelihood of symptomatic COVID-19 as well as the likelihood of severe disease and death in cases of so-called “breakthrough” infection. Still, only two-thirds of eligible Cuyahoga County residents and just 39% of Cleveland residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine. As of December 2021, some Cleveland census tracts have vaccination rates as low as 12%.

The Funders’ Collaborative on COVID Recovery is seeking proposals from nonprofit organizations aiming to catalyze vaccine uptake at a hyper-local level, with a special focus on neighborhoods where vaccination rates remain far below those of the surrounding area.

Nine (9) grant awards of up to $50,000 are available. Proposals for 6-month projects will be reviewed on a rolling basis through February 25, 2022.

The full Request for Proposals (RFP) can be accessed here.

First Year Cleveland (FYC), a public-private partnership aimed at reducing infant mortality and eliminating racial inequities in infant health outcomes, announced the appointment of members to its reconstituted Executive Committee. Installing the new committee will catalyze FYC’s shift in strategic direction to focus on combating racism as a root cause of maternal and infant mortality. Change in the initiative’s governance will be an essential guiding force for FYC’s evolution and a pivotal step to infuse considerations of equity and racial justice throughout its activities.

Expanding from 17 to 20 members, the Committee will lead FYC’s health care delivery and community-driven model of impact to include support for upstream and community-based initiatives that promote prenatal and infant health. The Committee will maintain representation from public and private sectors—including City and County government, health care institutions, and philanthropy—while broadening its decision-making to include Black leaders of nonprofit organizations that promote community health, grassroots organizers, faith-based leaders, social service executives, and policy experts.

“The appointment of new Executive Committee members marks an important milestone for First Year Cleveland,” said Mitchell Balk, President of The Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation and Chair of the FYC Governance Committee. The Governance Committee was charged with appointing the new Executive Committee members through a community-wide search and public nomination process. “This group brings to the table a remarkable depth and breadth of leadership, a diversity of experiences, and a commitment to addressing racism, toxic stress experienced by Black people, and other upstream factors that contribute to infant mortality in our community.”

The full press release can be accessed here (PDF).