MDH Names New Leader of its Health Equity Bureau

March 9, 2023

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced on March 1 the appointment of Robsan (Halkeno) Tura, PhD, as the new assistant commissioner for the department’s health equity bureau. Tura assumes the post held previously by Brooke Cunningham, MD, PhD, prior to her appointment in January as health commissioner. 

In his new role, Tura will oversee the department’s Center for Health Equity; diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; and the Office of American Indian Health. He will also serve as the department’s lead for proactive and strategic health equity partnerships and will lead the department’s work to advance equity in its day-to-day services and programs. 

Tura previously served as the director of the department’s Center for Health Equity, where he directed the development, implementation and evaluation of efforts to advance health equity in Minnesota. Before joining MDH, Tura served as deputy director for Blackhawk County Public Health in Waterloo, Iowa. In that role he drove health equity initiatives, strategic planning and implementation of other programs, including disease surveillance and investigation, maternal and child health, and chronic disease prevention. 

He also oversaw the county’s first joint assessment of community health needs, including outreach to underrepresented populations. Prior to that role, he served as director of Refugee and Immigrants Health Programs for EMBARC IOWA in Des Moines. He also has extensive experience in international health initiatives serving Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.