Immersing in Action

Denise Anderson

Executive Director, The Center for Health Equity & Wellbeing, New Jersey’s Public Health Institute

Pozen-Commonwealth Fund Fellows represent a broad spectrum of roles and experiences across the health ecosystem, from direct-service providers such as physicians, nurses, and dietitians to public health practitioners and senior executives. Many of us come from communities pushed to the margins—communities that have long faced unequal access to health care and disproportionate health outcomes. We carry an intimate knowledge of inequity from personal experience and through the stories of our families, friends, and the people we serve. What united us most profoundly was an unspoken, unwavering commitment to transform our communities’ experience of the healthcare system.

Our collective professional experiences spans diverse settings, including hospitals, academia, nonprofits, and government agencies. Some engage deeply with patient communities, while others focus on workforce development or systems transformation. We all understand that achieving health equity requires collective action across all sectors and professions, and that meaningful progress cannot be achieved in silos. Through the immersion, I saw that shared commitment brought each of us to the fellowship. Three phrases capture our shared bond: lived experience, unspoken understanding, and unwavering commitment.

Joanne Fernandez-Booker

Pediatrician, clinical professor, and medical student advisor, City University of New York School of Medicine

During the immersion, the passion in the room was palpable. I was surrounded by changemakers. We all met at the intersection of public health, policy, and healthcare, each sharing a glimpse of our “why.” After hearing from each guest speaker, we left energized with ideas for future programming and a clearer sense of how we can all become stronger advocates for the people and issues we care about.

We came from different stages in our careers, with varying degrees of experience and leadership in the health equity space. Yet despite our differences, a common thread was our humility and shared commitment to continuous learning. Each of us is deeply invested in improving the work and the fight for equity.

In just 48 hours, I experienced a whirlwind of excitement and inspiration. It was like whiplash—but in the best possible way. I didn’t expect to feel so deeply connected and invigorated in such a short time.

Tina Loarte-Rodriguez

Executive director, Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce

The Pozen-Commonwealth Fund Fellows are a bold bunch. Every single person in that room came in with a calling that refuses to be silenced. Whether it was equity in health care, policy reform, entrepreneurship, or elevating community health, the through line was clear. We are not here to maintain systems, we’re here to redesign them.

Many of us carry personal stories that shaped our professional missions. During my 19 years of frontline nursing, policy advocacy, and mentorship, I experienced and witnessed persistent gaps in equity that drove me to build platforms—like my anthology book series Latinas in Nursing. For others, it was growing up in health deserts, navigating complex systems as patients or caregivers, or fighting invisibility within the institutions meant to serve us.

In just a few days on campus, we cried, laughed, and challenged each other, dropping titles at the door. I expected prestige; I didn’t expect vulnerability to be part of the curriculum so soon. The 2026 cohort showed up as generous mentors, reminding us that we’re part of something bigger. And the staff? They weren’t just administrators—they were stewards of our leadership, reminding us at every turn that our voices matter.

I’ve never walked this path alone, and as a Pozen Commonwealth Fund fellow, my army has grown stronger, deeper, and more powerful. It’s clearer than ever that nurses are essential driving forces at the policy table, in boardrooms, in venture capital, and in Ivy League spaces. This revolution in health equity has never been mine alone, and now, with this fellowship, our collective impact is boundless.