University of Kentucky College of Public Health (CPH) alum, Dr. Angelica Geter (DrPH ’15), is a 15-year public health expert and the first Chief Health Officer (2019-2021) for the City of Atlanta, helping to lead the pandemic coordination team in response to COVID-19.
Dr. Geter currently serves as Executive Vice President (EVP) of Strategy and Business for the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI), the only national nonprofit solely dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the nation’s Black women and girls—physically, emotionally, and financially.
Dr. Geter leads FairWork™, BHWI’s first evidence-based strategy to measure and eliminate barriers to healthy and fair workplaces. With corporate, municipal, national, and international teams, she uplifts the missions of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations through technological innovation, program development, research, public speaking, guest lectures, op-eds, and peer-reviewed publications.
In 2022, Dr. Geter shared her story “Listen and Believe Black Women”, which began with her original motivation to work in public health which began in Jackson, Mississippi, where she was born and raised. Dr. Geter saw first-hand the impact of limited access to care and services as well as health disparities in her community, especially among young Black men and women.
While an undergraduate at Mississippi College in Clinton, MS, Dr. Geter first-learned about the increase in HIV/AIDS cases in her hometown, which was most common among young Black men and women.
In 2023, we revisit with Dr. Geter to expand on her original story.
Tell us more about BWHI and how your role contributes to their vision: “All Black women will enjoy optimal health in a society that promotes health equity, social, and reproductive justice.”
“Our story began four decades ago. This year, we celebrate 40 years of working for health equality for black women, which began in Spelman College in 1983 in Atlanta, GA. My career has all these full circle moments. As a public health scientist, and with the training of CPH and others, the way I think about policy, research, programs are evidence- based and rooted in science. It must also capture the voice that it is intended for. As an executive leader at BHWI, we all play a key role in this vision. My public health training allows me to think strategically and plan for our future over the next 30 years. For instance, we want the signature programs, like the The Black Women’s Health Imperative Fair Work Initiative™ (BWHI FWI), to help more businesses and organizations be equipped at measuring and maintaining fairness in their workplace for many years to come. Many national and international groups, including leaders in healthcare, are starting to become highly engaged with our programs. Their interest is profound, and they want to have a strategy and solution. They want to invest in building and measuring the benefits of a fair workplace environment,” says Dr. Geter.
“Our story began four decades ago. This year, we celebrate 40 years of working for health equality for black women, which began in Spelman College in 1983 in Atlanta, GA.
My career has all these full circle moments. As a public health scientist, and with the training of CPH and others, the way I think about policy, research, programs are evidence- based and rooted in science. It must also capture the voice that it is intended for.
As an executive leader at BHWI, we all play a key role in this vision. My public health training allows me to think strategically and plan for our future over the next 30 years. For instance, we want the signature programs, like the The Black Women’s Health Imperative Fair Work Initiative™ (BWHI FWI), to help more businesses and organizations be equipped at measuring and maintaining fairness in their workplace for many years to come.
Many national and international groups, including leaders in healthcare, are starting to become highly engaged with our programs. Their interest is profound, and they want to have a strategy and solution. They want to invest in building and measuring the benefits of a fair workplace environment,” says Dr. Geter.
What are some of the current BHWI initiatives/projects currently doing to support black women in the workplace and creating a safer, healthier, and protected space for them?
“We are thinking about what do black women need now? What do their families and communities need for the future? Hopefully, we should not be having the same conversations 40 years from now that we are having today. We want our programs and strategy at BHWI to cultivate a movement. To serve those that feel undervalued and under supported. We have a bold goal of helping to increase the number of healthy black women by 3 million. We have recently completed a research study, helping us to identify the current experiences for women of color (post-COVID). They are sharing with us their health outcomes and status. Solutions will include policy recommendations, workplace benefits, self-care opportunities, and more. We are confident that our solutions and trainings, as a result, will come together to produce long-term strategies in creating a healthier, safer space for these women. We plan to release these official results soon. We are looking at a more comprehensive approach and toolkits that will empower more Black women in the workplace in areas of health and financial wellness, career development, physical and spiritual health. We want to shift what Black women experience when they go to work. We want to shift their health and the health of all employees in the workplace. We must shift the narrative. The health of our workforce is lacking. We must change policy and build more trust. There are women who consistently go to work and bring the stress of work home, which impacts other parts of their lives – family, loved ones, children, and more. Many people are depending on these women, but they are feeling undervalued and underrepresented. The intersectionality of all this is very profound,” says Dr. Geter.
“We are thinking about what do black women need now? What do their families and communities need for the future? Hopefully, we should not be having the same conversations 40 years from now that we are having today.
We want our programs and strategy at BHWI to cultivate a movement. To serve those that feel undervalued and under supported. We have a bold goal of helping to increase the number of healthy black women by 3 million.
We have recently completed a research study, helping us to identify the current experiences for women of color (post-COVID). They are sharing with us their health outcomes and status. Solutions will include policy recommendations, workplace benefits, self-care opportunities, and more. We are confident that our solutions and trainings, as a result, will come together to produce long-term strategies in creating a healthier, safer space for these women. We plan to release these official results soon.
We are looking at a more comprehensive approach and toolkits that will empower more Black women in the workplace in areas of health and financial wellness, career development, physical and spiritual health.
We want to shift what Black women experience when they go to work. We want to shift their health and the health of all employees in the workplace.
We must shift the narrative. The health of our workforce is lacking. We must change policy and build more trust.
There are women who consistently go to work and bring the stress of work home, which impacts other parts of their lives – family, loved ones, children, and more. Many people are depending on these women, but they are feeling undervalued and underrepresented. The intersectionality of all this is very profound,” says Dr. Geter.
What moments to this point in your professional career are you most proud of and why?
“I love what I do currently at BWHI. I also enjoyed what I did as the Chief Health Officer for the City of Atlanta. No one could have anticipated COVID, so to be a part of a team that was leading the city’s public health strategies, mitigation, response and preparedness efforts is something that I will always remember. With that being said, my most proud and profound moment was being an undergraduate student at Mississippi College in Clinton, MS, where I saw firsthand the increase in HIV/AIDS cases in my hometown. At that moment, something inside me changed and opened the door to learning about public health. I started saying yes to serving my community. My mentors saying yes to me and saying yes to myself. My greatest lesson was learning to trust myself. Do what feels right to me and what feels good in the center of my heart,” says Dr. Geter.
“I love what I do currently at BWHI. I also enjoyed what I did as the Chief Health Officer for the City of Atlanta. No one could have anticipated COVID, so to be a part of a team that was leading the city’s public health strategies, mitigation, response and preparedness efforts is something that I will always remember.
With that being said, my most proud and profound moment was being an undergraduate student at Mississippi College in Clinton, MS, where I saw firsthand the increase in HIV/AIDS cases in my hometown. At that moment, something inside me changed and opened the door to learning about public health. I started saying yes to serving my community. My mentors saying yes to me and saying yes to myself.
My greatest lesson was learning to trust myself. Do what feels right to me and what feels good in the center of my heart,” says Dr. Geter.
You have recently been speaking publicly on heart health. To you, what is heart health and tell us more about your passion for this topic?
“With heart health, we often think of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. Hearth health, for me, is spiritual, physical, emotional, physiological, which is a unique perspective to some. For me personally, I am focusing more on my mental health and therapy. I have started my own consulting company called Angelica Geter Consulting. As an educator and scientist, I speak on heart health, equity, and justice to people. My hope is that people leave wanting to reflect, take action, and respond in their communities. After speaking engagements, I’m very intentional about getting my rest and relaxation. Looking at the connections between stress and health, and finding the emotional connection, is all tied to our heart. You must keep it full. Some tips to keeping your cup and heart full, include: Figure out what speaks to you. Try and feel out different things. Feel empowered enough to say no. Creating a safe space for healthier boundaries. Know when to stay and when to walk away when the job is done. You must surround yourself with people that can keep your cup full - that’s what you give to the world,” says Dr. Geter.
“With heart health, we often think of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. Hearth health, for me, is spiritual, physical, emotional, physiological, which is a unique perspective to some. For me personally, I am focusing more on my mental health and therapy.
I have started my own consulting company called Angelica Geter Consulting. As an educator and scientist, I speak on heart health, equity, and justice to people. My hope is that people leave wanting to reflect, take action, and respond in their communities. After speaking engagements, I’m very intentional about getting my rest and relaxation.
Looking at the connections between stress and health, and finding the emotional connection, is all tied to our heart. You must keep it full.
Some tips to keeping your cup and heart full, include:
Figure out what speaks to you.
Try and feel out different things.
Feel empowered enough to say no.
Creating a safe space for healthier boundaries.
Know when to stay and when to walk away when the job is done.
You must surround yourself with people that can keep your cup full - that’s what you give to the world,” says Dr. Geter.
In 2022, we authored your story, themed “Listen and Believe Black Women”. In 2023, and beyond (to you) what’s your advice on how we all can enjoy optimal health and promote a more equitable, social, and reproductive-justice type of society and community?
“I would say that we must still listen and believe Black women. We underestimate the power of listening to people. By listening, it can lead to innovation, trust, and partnership. In addition, it is important that people in power understand what communities and populations they serve need. We need to get more Black women into leadership roles and equip them with the tools to be successful. We need to continue to hear, learn, and take direction from Black women because they know best what needs and must be done to improve the places where they work. Public health needs you and it’s important that we take care of ourselves so we can take care of others. Value yourself. Know your worth. Keep your cup and heart full,” says Dr. Geter.
“I would say that we must still listen and believe Black women.
We underestimate the power of listening to people. By listening, it can lead to innovation, trust, and partnership. In addition, it is important that people in power understand what communities and populations they serve need. We need to get more Black women into leadership roles and equip them with the tools to be successful.
We need to continue to hear, learn, and take direction from Black women because they know best what needs and must be done to improve the places where they work.
Public health needs you and it’s important that we take care of ourselves so we can take care of others. Value yourself. Know your worth. Keep your cup and heart full,” says Dr. Geter.
About BWHI
For 38 years, The Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) has been a powerful force in a leading effort to address the most pressing health issues that affect Black women and girls like you.
To take action and join BWHI’s movement, learn more at https://bwhi.org.
