Rebecca Onie | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1977 (age 48–49) |
| Alma mater | Harvard College,Harvard Law School |
| Awards | MacArthur Fellowship |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | The Health Initiative[1] |
Rebecca Onie (born 1977) is the co-founder with Rocco J Perla of The Health Initiative,[2] a nationwide effort to spur a new conversation about - and new investments in - health. In 2017, she was elected to theNational Academy of Medicine as a nationally recognized leader in the intersection of social determinants, population health, and healthcare delivery. Onie is also the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Emerita of Health Leads.[3]
In 1996, during her sophomore year atHarvard College, Rebecca Onie founded Health Leads (formerly Project HEALTH) with Dr. Barry Zuckerman, Chair of Pediatrics atBoston Medical Center. As Executive Director of Health Leads, Onie oversaw the organization's growth toProvidence andNew York City.
After attendingHarvard Law School, where she served as an editor of theHarvard Law Review and research assistant for ProfessorsLaurence Tribe andLani Guinier, Onie clerked for the HonorableDiane P. Wood of theU.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. During this time, Onie served as founding Co-Chair of Health Leads' Board of Directors. She returned to Health Leads as CEO in February 2006.
In 2009, she received aMacArthur Fellowship, for "individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction."O! Magazine named her to its 2010 Power List of twenty women who are "changing the world for the better."
In 2012, Onie spoke atTEDMED on the devastating impact of poverty on health. Entitled "Can We Rewrite the DNA of the Healthcare System",[4] her talk focused on Health Leads' role in helping doctors connect their low-income patients with better access to health services, interventions, food and transportation.[5]
Onie is aWorld Economic Forum Young Global Leader and a U.S. Ashoka Fellow. She received the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award in 2009, honoring Americans under the age of 40 whose commitment to service is changing their communities and the country; the Jane Rainie Opel ’50 Young Alumna Award in 2008, for outstanding contributions to the advancement of women; and the Do Something Brick Award for Community Leadership in 1999, for dynamic young people under the age of thirty with the passion and drive to improve their communities.[6][7]Onie was named to Oprah Winfrey's 2010 O Power List of women who are "changing the world for the better." According to O: The Oprah Magazine, Onie and Health Leads "blew us away" by understanding "the power of the big picture."
On July 28, 2011, The New York Times ran a commentary about Health Leads, written by David Bornstein (author), which referred to Health Leads as "one of the most impressive organizations in the country" at addressing the conditions that make people sick.