Elaine Gross, president of ERASE Racism, recently announced that the civil rights organization has elected Kalpana Bhandarkar to its board of directors. Bhandarkar brings to the Board nearly 20 years of experience in health care and civic engagement and has dedicated her professional career to improving access to quality health care for marginalized populations.
Bhandarkar has served as Lead for the Social Determinants Team at NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest public health system in the nation and previously as Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. Before that, she worked at Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, Children’s Defense Fund and Manatt Health. She is a Board Member at the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy and has a long history of participating in voter registration and outreach related to local, state and presidential elections.
“Kalpana Bhandarkar brings a wealth of relevant experience to ERASE Racism,” Gross said. “Her background in access to quality health care for marginalized populations, advocacy and outreach aligns with our commitments to racial equity and inclusion. We are excited to have her in the leadership of ERASE Racism.”
“For 20 years, ERASE Racism has successfully advocated to promote fair housing and equitable education on Long Island,” Bhandarkar said. “It’s a privilege to be elected to its Board of Directors, collaborating with compassionate and effective leaders in civil rights and education. I’m proud to be part of ERASE Racism’s significant effort to ensure equitable opportunities for all Long Islanders–and more broadly.”
A resident of Port Washington, who grew up in Suffolk County, Bhandarkar holds a BA from Tufts University, an MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and an MBA from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
Additional information on ERASE Racism is available at www.eraseracismny.org.
—Submitted by ERASE Racism
