Indiana FSSA names first chief health equity officer

INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) — The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has named Breanca Merritt as its first chief health equity and Americans with Disabilities Act officer. Merritt is the founding director of the Center for Research on Inclusion and Social Policy at IUPUI and a clinical assistant professor in IUPUI’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

“Dr. Merritt has a long history as an academic and practitioner with real-world experience working among marginalized populations to understand racial and ethnic disparities and encouraging policies that promote equity,” said Dr. Jennifer Sullivan, FSSA secretary.

FSSA says the new position was created to provide leadership in evaluating policy decisions affecting race equity, agency accountability and adherence to the ADA.

“My career has always been dedicated to informing government efforts to improve outcomes for local communities, especially the populations served by FSSA,” said Merritt. “I look forward to working collectively to address racial and social equity for Hoosiers who receive services and interact with the agency.”