Dr. Brisa Urquieta de Hernandez currently serves as System Director of Population Health Engagement and Partnerships at CommonSpirit Health, which operates 137 hospitals and more than 1,000 care sites across 21 states. Over the past 15 years, Hernandez’s research and operational leadership has been focused on addressing health disparities, utilizing participatory research methods, community development, inter/transdisciplinary collaborations, program evaluation and the impact of urban restructuring on access and utilization of health/social services for underserved populations. She has been involved in a number of grants as a manager/director from the CDC, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NIH, NIMHD, and the Duke Endowment to name a few. Although the primary focus of the research has been engaging the new immigrant Latino population in the Charlotte- Mecklenburg area, Hernandez has also worked with many community partners to address issues of health disparities and equity for all residents across the area. Hernandez earned her Bachelor’s from the University of New Mexico, and her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.