Marquita Rockamore, Director of Health Industry Solutions, Manufacturing Technology Center, Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), and Donna Skoda, Health Commissioner, Summit County Public Health, were announced as Collaborative Champion awardees at the 2023 Better Health Partnership Learning Collaborative. Jim Weisman, Chair of BHP’s Board of Directors, presented the awards for individuals who have demonstrated BHP’s collaborative spirit by working together toward our vision for achieving exceptional health value and eradicating health disparities in Northeast Ohio.
Marquita was recognized for being integral to the success of the Better Health Pathways HUB since its inception, with several noteworthy contributions highlighted, including organizing and expanding the 2022 CHW Day and advocating for and acquiring funding for Tri-C to pilot the Pathways HUB for students in need of support. She serves on the Better Health Pathways HUB Community Advisory Board and co-leads the Northeast Ohio Community Health Worker Capacity Building Collaborative Advisory Board with Better Health’s President and CEO, Rita Horwitz.
Donna was recognized for consistently being a leading voice for regional collaboration and a role model for leading change that fosters new partnerships to achieve shared goals for health and health equity. Key contributions include being an early advocate for Better Health Partnership, bringing health systems and federally qualified health centers into the collaborative; and helping to create a multi-stakeholder collaborative of residents, community-based organizations and hospitals to improve health across the greater Akron area as part of the Summit County Community Health Improvement Plan process.