BYLINE: Greg Bruno

In recognition for her tireless dedication to reducing health inequities in Black and other under-resourced communities, , Rutgers Health vice chancellor for interprofessional programs, has been named the 2025 MLK Jr. Steward of the Dream Award recipient by the and the .

 

“Whether as a family physician, chairing city-wide organizations … or serving as president of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), Rodgers has consistently demonstrated her passion and determination to improve health outcomes in the city of Newark,” members of the award committee said in a statement. “She does this work asking for nothing in return, except that society critically examine and intentionally mitigate the deleterious effects of the social determinants of health, which is very much in line with the social justice teachings of Martin Luther King Jr.”

 

Throughout her career in family medicine, Rodgers has focused on improving health outcomes in underserved populations. In 1979, she began her training in the Residency Program in Social Medicine at in the Bronx. She then moved to San Francisco, where she led the family medicine residency program at San Francisco General Hospital and later became the hospital’s chief of staff, working to address public and community health issues across the city.

 

She became the associate dean for community health at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 1997 and later served as UMDNJ’s fifth and final president. When UMDNJ and Rutgers merged in 2013, she renewed her efforts to improve health equity in Newark.

 

Rodgers’ contributions to Newark include directing the Greater Newark Health Care Coalition and the Newark Homelessness Commission, serving as medical adviser to the United Way of Greater Newark, and launching programs to address childhood asthma.

 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led efforts to dispel misinformation and mistrust of the public health system, particularly around vaccines, and helped launch an initiative to prevent an outbreak in the city’s homeless shelters.

 

In 2021, Rodgers became the principal investigator for the , a $10 million initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, focused on addressing the social determinants of health in three New Jersey cities: Camden, New Brunswick and Newark.

 

“Dr. Rodgers embodies the mission of an academic health center like Rutgers Health, combining teaching, clinical care, leadership and an unwavering commitment to advancing health equity,” said Rutgers Health Chancellor Brian L. Strom. “Her tireless efforts to address the root causes of health disparities and improve the well-being of underserved communities, particularly in Newark, are nothing short of inspiring. We at Rutgers Health are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.”

 

Non-medical factors influencing health are central to Rodgers’ work. “If you can't access fresh food, if you can't buy medicines, if you don't have adequate housing or a safe neighborhood where you can walk, you’re at a distinct health disadvantage,” she said.

 

But there’s another element of health disparities that Rodgers said receives far less attention: racism. “Racism is foundational to many, many, many of the problems that contribute to the health disparities that we see, particularly among African Americans in this country, and certainly in our own backyard here in New Jersey and in Newark,” Rodgers said.

 

“Martin Luther King Jr. has been a hero for most of my life,” she added. “To receive an award in his name is particularly meaningful.”

 

The Steward of the Dream Award, conferred to Rodgers during a ceremony at the performing arts center on January 16, 2025, is presented annually to leaders for their contributions to the African American community and community members of the greater Newark area. Honorees are chosen because they embody the vision of Martin Luther King Jr. and have worked to advance the needs of city residents.

 

Past recipients of the award include the late New Jersey state senator ; , former president of Essex County College; and former Newark councilwoman .

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