SAIA is honoured to announce that Tina Aswani-Omprakash, MPH, is now our full-time Chief Executive Officer 🎉🎉
Written by Madhura Balasubramaniam, Sharan Khela, Dr. Neilanjan Nandi & SAIA’s Board of Directors
Tina is a patient advocate and thought leader par excellence, with several years of experience in spearheading international health advocacy efforts within and beyond the GI space. Tina’s work with Own Your Crohn’s has been groundbreaking for communities of colour, especially the South Asian community, where discussions around inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have historically been clouded by cultural stigmas and misconceptions. Tina brought to light and underscored these hidden cultural considerations that shape healthcare for communities of colour across the world. Sharing her personal experiences in coping with the oppressive cultural stigma around IBD, ostomy surgery and chronic illness/disabilities more broadly in the South Asian community, Tina has pioneered the conversation around cultural determinants of healthcare and the unique ways in which cultural norms shape healthcare decision-making.
Building on this longstanding history of seva (selfless service) to patient communities, Tina co-founded South Asian IBD Alliance (SAIA) and our patient advocacy arm, IBDesis. SAIA has been shaped by and seeks to expound upon Tina’s vision of delivering culturally informed and cognizant healthcare to diverse and underserved patient populations.
Through her advocacy, Tina has empowered South Asian IBD patients to speak openly about their conditions, creating a safe space where individuals no longer feel isolated or ashamed. Her efforts have not only educated the community but have also paved the way for countless patients to advocate for themselves, ensuring they receive the compassionate and effective care they deserve. Tina has also uplifted several patient voices, including ours, introducing us to the advocacy space and empowering us to be ambassadors for better care for our community.
Tina’s dedication and impact make her an ideal fit for the CEO position with SAIA, where her leadership will continue to break barriers and foster a supportive network for IBD patients across the world. Bringing Tina on board full-time as CEO is also a big step forward in the evolution of SAIA as an organization. We are delighted to witness SAIA scaling new heights under her leadership.
Watch the announcement at SAIA’s Networking Event at ACG 2024:
