Do you have a summer experience you remember really well? What made it memorable?
For CHER alum Anthony Nicome, the summer of 2016 was “the beginning of his career in health equity.” And it set the focus for everything he’s done since.
We were lucky enough to be where Nicome did his summer program.
Learn more about Nicome’s story before, during and after CHER.
The road to CHER
For Nicome, the road to CHER started with Project Imhotep (now the Lewis Scholar’s Imhotep Project).
Nicome was an undergrad at Texas Christian University. He was matched with CHER through Project IMHOTEP. Project IMHOTEP places students at sites across the US. At those sites, they work in public health and “train for future careers.”
Once he got here, he found his focus: building healthy environments for all.
At CHER
While at CHER, Nicome worked on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars program.
He worked with Gaurav ‘G’ Dave to draft an evaluation instrument. The tool was created to help evaluate relationships between clinicians and stakeholders.
It wasn’t his main focus, but Nicome also supported Heart Matters, led by Giselle Corbie. Heart Matters is lifestyle change educational program. With Heart Matters, Nicome gained his first hands-on experience in community-based participatory research.
He saw how working directly with communities helps advance public health.
He said “Meeting communities where they are and gaining these invaluable experiences at CHER have helped mold me into the public health practitioner that I am today.”
Nicome also shared his reflections on those experience and the connections he made.
He said, “My time at CHER was the beginning of my career in health equity and there are no words to describe how thankful I am for Dr. Giselle Corbie, Dr. Gaurav Dave and all of the other CHER staff and faculty that helped me understand the importance of centering health equity in the work that I do on a daily basis.”
Where he is now
Nicome joined the AAMC Center for Health Justice in 2023 as their inaugural Environmental Justice Fellow.
He said he brought “[his] experience in environmental justice, community engagement and health equity” with him.
As a fellow, he’s co-leading the development of the center’s environmental justice portfolio. Nicome is helping foster partnerships with communities and organizations. And he’s helping create resources academic medicine communities and the general public.
Nicome said, “Our goal is to promote environmental and health justice and improve population health across the nation.”
In the few years since 2016, Nicome has done so much. In addition to his current role, his activities include:
- Working with the City of Baltimore to start their food box delivery program. This was part of his time as a JHU SOURCE scholar. He was at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The program started around the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Leading a team of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency staff advisors. The group advised the U.S. Department of Transportation during the grant review process for the Reconnecting Communities Grant Pilot Program established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
- Serving on the National Academies of Medicine (NAM) – Climate Communities Network (CCN). Nicome was a representative of the AAMC Center for Health Justice as a strategic partner with members and NAM – CCN staff. The team elevated community expertise and experience. They also worked to address structural drivers of climate-related health inequities.
- Writing about the intersection of the U.S. food system and environmental justice as a freelance author for Civil Eats.
- Volunteering at local organizations advancing environmental justice, among other efforts.
Looking ahead
When was asked Nicome what was next for him, he shared his inspiring focus.
“I have dedicated my life to helping ensure safe and healthy environments for all,” he said.
He added that his dedication applies to everything he does and will do. “Although my specific professional roles and titles may change over the course of my career, I am passionate about working toward a more equitable and sustainable future where everyone can breathe clean air, drink clear water and obtain optimal health, regardless of their race or economic status,” he explained.
We’re grateful for students like Anthony Nicome. When we see how he’s grown and what he’s accomplished, we’re reminded of how much working with students roots us in our work.
It takes all of us, at every stage of our lives, working together to get to the future Nicome – and we – envision: safe and healthy environments for all.