Consumer advocates have a new opportunity to influence regional work to strengthen health equity. This is your chance to make a difference!

The Office of Minority Health in the federal Department of Health and Human Services is seeking nominations for 10 regional health equity councils – one in each of the 10 HHS regions. The councils are being established to help shape and spur action on the National Stakeholder Strategy for Achieving Health Equity, which was released in April by the federal government. The strategy contains lots of good ideas for community engagement, but no new government funding. A strong council could help push the work forward, and facilitate fund-raising. Each council will contain up to 35 members from the public and private sectors. Let’s ensure that consumer and community voices are heard.

OMH is accepting nominations through midnight on July 18 at RHECnomination@minorityhealth.hhs.gov. Qualifications needed include leadership skill and experience working on health disparities. At a minimum, nominations must include the name, title, address, phone and email for both the nominee and the nominator. For more information, refer to the full description from HHS.

— Alice Dembner, Deputy Policy Director