By Megan SaylesAFRO Enterprise Writermsayles@afro.com
AARP, the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan group serving People 50 and older, introduced Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan as its new CEO on Nov. 12. The New York native most lately served because the president and CEO for CareQuest Oral Well being Institute. There, she centered on selling the inclusion of oral well being in broader well being care and public well being discussions, together with making the supply of oral well being care extra equitable and accessible.
Credit score: Photograph courtesy of AARP
Minter-Jordan, who was beforehand an attending doctor and medication teacher has spent practically twenty years within the well being care trade, however her mother and father say her curiosity sparked at seven years outdated. A self-professed servant chief, she was drawn to AARP due to the group’s mission: to reinforce the standard of life for all as we age.
“I’ve been blown away by the extent of dedication and dedication to the mission. Individuals consider within the work that AARP does,” stated Minter-Jordan. “I really like the advocacy that we do right here—the truth that we deal with Social Safety and Medicare and what it means to be a household caregiver. We’re actually representing the wants of the 39 million members in a approach that’s genuine, that could be very deep and that’s skilled by everybody who works right here.”
The AFRO lately related with Minter-Jordan to debate her priorities in her new submit. The responses under have been edited for size and readability.
What are your prime agenda gadgets as the brand new CEO of AARP?
It’s actually a mirrored image of what we hear from our members. We now have members throughout the nation who’re hyper-focused, as they need to be, on Social Safety and Medicare and making certain the sustainability and viability of these packages into the long run. They’re additionally centered on human caregiving.
Listening to the voice of our membership and understanding how deeply these points are felt by the people who find themselves working in our nation on daily basis is a spotlight of mine. We heard it loud and clear from our membership, notably across the time of the election, and we’re dedicated to working with our congressional leaders and state and native leaders to make sure that now we have a continued deal with these packages
How necessary are packages, like Social Safety and Medicare, to underserved communities?
Everyone knows that there are numerous inequities in these packages for our underserved communities, whether or not that’s rural communities, veterans or our 50+ plus group the place AARP is singularly centered. We need to ensure that we’re lifting up alternatives and coverage that assist to assist our efforts round Social Safety, Medicare and household caregiving.
That is one thing that’s extremely necessary to me but additionally necessary to everybody right here inside AARP. I’m actually pleased with our dedication to creating positive that we’re utilizing a lens of fairness throughout the work that we do.
What AARP programming would you want to focus on to the general public?
I might simply raise up our advocacy efforts. Our advocacy group is so properly in tuned to the voices and the wants of our membership. They’re consistently engaged on making certain that we perceive from each angle. We’re frequently lifting up Social Safety, Medicare and household caregiving.
Household caregiving has emerged as a more moderen focus for the group. If you happen to aren’t a caregiver now, you’ll definitely be in want of caregiving companies. We need to ensure that we’re insurance policies that assist to assist the function of the caregiver. Many caregivers throughout our nation are spending over $7,000 out of pocket yearly, and now we have 48 million People who’re in that function. Our advocacy is one thing that’s going to turn out to be much more necessary as we interact with the brand new administration coming in.
