Join our distinguished panelists, Dr. Nina Ashford, Dr. Nikhila Iruku, and Mischa Hadaway for this important discussion.
Dr. Nina Ashford is the Chief of Public Health Services for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. She is committed to health equity through innovative person-centered policy, public health programming, and evaluation. She has over 16 years of experience working across multiple sectors including government, academia, and community-based non-profits. Nina spent 9 years at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center leading the State and Population Health Group. Her portfolio included over $1 billion dollars of programs evaluating innovative ways to deliver preventive care and improve the population for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Dr. Ashford holds a DrPH and MPH from the Milken Institute of Public Health at the George Washington University, a BS from the University of Wisconsin Parkside, and a Certificate in Business Administration from Georgetown University.
Dr. Nikhila Iruku, DO is an Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialist at The Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group. The philosophy of health maintenance and preventive care embodies her vision for disease prevention, education and healthy families. Her professional interests lie in high risk pregnancy, adolescent gynecology and contraceptive counseling. In addition, she has strong training in minimally invasive techniques to provide women with the best surgical options for necessary gynecologic procedures.
Mischa Hadaway has over 15 years of experience in mental health counseling, dedicating her career to supporting individuals through life’s challenges with compassion and expertise. She is a Perinatal Therapist, Birth Doula and holds a certification in Perinatal Maternal Health and is the Owner of Gentle Mama Counseling, LLC. She specializes in working with new moms and moms-to-be to improve the feelings associated with the experience of motherhood.
Stacey Brayboy is the Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Government Affairs at March of Dimes. She brings decades of experience in public policy, government affairs, issue advocacy, and national campaigns. She served as Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Commonwealth of Virginia Brayboy also served 8 years in the Obama-Biden administration, holding various leadership roles at the United States Department of Agriculture. She was Chief of Staff to the Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Staff for Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), and Director of Economic and Community Development for USDA Rural Development.