Robert Ross, National Expert in Improving Health Access and Quality, Joins AIR Board of Directors
2024年8月9日 - 2:03AM
Robert K. Ross, a recognized leader in health philanthropy and
public administration, has joined the board of directors for the
American Institutes for Research (AIR). Ross currently serves as
the president and CEO for The California Endowment, a health
foundation that addresses the needs of the nation’s most populous
state.
“Bob Ross brings a wealth of knowledge to the AIR Board and a
passion for helping people and communities thrive,”
said Lawrence D. Bobo, chair of the AIR Board of Directors. “I
am excited to welcome him to the Board and look forward to working
with him to guide and inform AIR’s work to increase access to
high-quality health care and improve public health systems.”
Ross was elected to the Board in the spring of 2024 and attended
the Board’s June meeting in Chicago. The AIR Board of
Directors works with the institution’s leadership to set its
strategic focus and ensure its work is making a difference in
people’s lives.
“The disparities in health care access and quality have been
laid bare in the past few years, both in the United States and
around the world,” said Jessica Heppen, AIR president and CEO.
“We are grateful to have Bob Ross as a partner and leader in
seeking solutions that will reduce inequities and improve the
well-being of all people.”
During Ross’s tenure, The California Endowment has funded
efforts across the state, such as expanding health coverage for
undocumented residents, farmworkers, and “Dreamers”; strengthening
diversity in the health workforce; improving wellness-driven school
climate reforms; increasing health advocacy for young men and women
of color; and providing leadership for health-oriented criminal
justice reform. Ross has served as a founding board member of
Covered California, the entity responsible for the state’s
implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act, and as chair of
the Los Angeles County Task Force on Alternatives to
Incarceration.
Prior to joining The California Endowment in 2000, Ross served
as director of the Health and Human Services Agency in San Diego
County; the commissioner of the City of Philadelphia Department of
Public Health; medical director for LINK School-Based Clinic
Program in Camden, New Jersey; an instructor of clinical medicine
at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and a faculty member at San
Diego State University’s School of Public Health. He was the 2023
Mimi and Peter E. Haas Distinguished Visitor at Stanford
University.
Ross received his undergraduate, master’s, and medical degrees
from the University of Pennsylvania.
“AIR has a long history of using evidence to address some of the
biggest challenges facing our communities,” Ross said. “I am
grateful to join the AIR Board of Directors and be a part of this
mission-driven institution in its efforts to improve lives around
the world.”
About AIR
Established in 1946, the American Institutes for Research (AIR)
is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts
behavioral and social science research and delivers technical
assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of
education, health, and the workforce. AIR’s work is driven by its
mission to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a
better, more equitable world. With headquarters in Arlington,
Virginia, AIR has offices across the U.S. and abroad. For more
information, visit www.air.org.
Dana Tofig
American Institutes for Research
202-403-6347
dtofig@air.org