Announcements
Announcement of Leadership Transition
for Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre
July 17, 2019
The Women’s Health in Women’s Hands CHC Board of Directors would like to announce that Notisha Massaquoi will be retiring as our Executive Director on September 3rd 2019. Notisha has provided exemplary leadership to our organization for the past 21 years. Her vision and passion to serve and improve access to primary healthcare for racialized women and their communities has built a solid foundation for the continued growth of our organization and has propelled us to the forefront of advocacy for the healthcare rights racialized women locally, nationally and internationally. Her leadership in health equity and as a champion for race based data collection not only has served WHIWH-CHC but the health care sector as a whole.
Under Notisha’s leadership WHIWH-CHC has become renowned as the only community health centre in Canada specializing in primary healthcare for racialized women. We have successfully built a robust research department that specializes in health research for and with our communities, we have developed specialized culturally adapted mental health services and we house the largest community based HIV program for women in the province. Racially and culturally adapted midwifery, diabetes and FGM services also add to the uniqueness of the organization that has emerged during Notisha’s tenure. Our peer ambassador and education programs have ensured that countless members of our communities receive the health information required to improve well-being. A most notable process led by Notisha was the transition to become an organization that welcomes and serves the transgender community. Finally, with our United Nations Economic and Social Council Status WHIWH-CHC has served in an advisory role to many UN bodies and currently holds a seat on the UN AIDS board as the Canadian NGO representative. This is just a summary of highlights of a career dedicated to the lives of Black and racialized women.
The WHIWH Board of Directors would also like to announce at this time that we have completed a comprehensive Executive Director recruitment process and are pleased to announce that Lori-Ann Green Walker will commence her duties as Executive Director on September 3, 2019. The Board of Directors is confident that there is no better person to lead Women’s Health in Women’s Hands CHC into the next chapter than Lori-Ann. She has twenty years of experience in health care management and leadership, the past 12 of which she served as the Director of Primary Health Care Services at Women’s Health in Women’s Hands CHC. Prior to joining WHIWH-CHC Lori-Ann held several senior level executive positions in the New York City hospital system most notably as the Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs and Accreditation for Woodlawn Hospital.
On behalf of the Board, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our current Executive Director, Notisha Massaquoi for providing Women’s Health in Women’s Hands CHC with leadership, direction and inspiration for the past two decades. Notisha is the definition of a transformational leader and she will be deeply missed. We look forward to following Notisha’s next steps as she passes the leadership baton to Lori-Ann.
Women’s Health in Women’s Hands CHC will continue to fight for racialized women’s equality and we are ready to meet any challenges knowing we have the right leader in place. The Board will be working closely with Lori-Ann and Notisha over the next few months to ensure a smooth transition.
Sincerely,
Renatta Austin
Chair , WHIWH-CHC Board