Deputy Director of Community Initiatives
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Amida Castagne, MPH, CHES – a Black woman, immigrant, mother and public health profesional who is an advocate, for health equity, human rights, anti-racist policies, social, birth and reproductive justice.
Amida migrated to New York at the age of seven from Guyana and from a young age always had a passion for healthcare. Amida was pre-med in college before finding her gift and talent in public health for which she has worked now for over twenty years. Amida’s public health experience include working in HIV/AIDS, substance use and mental health for fifteen years. Amida worked in both private and public hospitals in New York City and worked for seven years in a methadone treatment program as a Medical Case Manager. In her current role, at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Amida is the Deputy Director of Community Inititatives for the Maternity Hospital Quality Improvement Network (MHQIN) in the Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health. The vision of the MHQIN is to ensure that all women receive high quality, respectful and equitable care throughout their pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal period.
Amida seeks to use her power and influence to dismantal oppressive systems that prepetuates health inequities. In every space that she occupies, she uses her lived experiences and the voices of disenfranchised people and those impacted by health inequities.
The Deputy Director’s educational background includes a B.A. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Lehigh University and a MPH from CUNY Hunter College. She also accredits alot of her learning to the clients whom she served and provided services.
Amida is the proud mother of a fifteen year old – Zoe. She is also a lover of animals and plants and enjoys goat yoga as a form of self-care.
Disclosure information not submitted.
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
12:00 PM – 1:10 PM ET