Jasmine Zapata

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Jasmine Zapata
Chief medical officer and state epidemiologist for community health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Assumed office
May 2021
Personal details
BornMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
ProfessionPhysician and epidemiologist
Websitewww.drjasminezapata.com

Jasmine Y. Zapata is an American physician and epidemiologist. She is the chief medical officer and state epidemiologist for community health at Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Her career includes work as a pediatrician, public health researcher, assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin, author, and her support for youth empowerment with a variety of initiatives.

Early life and education[edit]

Zapata was raised in the 53224 zip code in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,[1] and before high school, lived in a house near N. 90th Street and W. Good Hope Road before her parents divorced.[2] After her parents divorced, she moved into an apartment with her mother, Julia Saffold,[3] and younger brother, and they received public benefits, including BadgerCare, the public health insurance in Wisconsin.[2] Zapata was the valedectorian at her high school graduation, and received a Burke Scholarship from Marquette University to attend the Marquette University College of Health Sciences.[4] She married her husband, Miguel Zapata, in 2006.[4] In 2007, her brother died at age 16 from epilepsy.[3]

Zapata completed her bachelor's degree in Health Sciences from Marquette University in 2009.[5] She then accepted an Advanced Opportunity Fellowship to attend the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.[4] In 2010, during her second year of medical school, she experienced the premature birth of her daughter,[2] who was born at 25 weeks and survived.[6][4] Her daughter spent 3 months in the neonatal intensive care unit, and the experience inspired Zapata to focus her career on the health of Black women and infants, as well as disparities in the health care system.[7] Zapata earned her medical degree in 2013 and her master of public health degree in 2017 from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.[8][4] She completed her residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics.[9]

Career[edit]

Zapata has worked as a UW Health University Hospital pediatrician and newborn hospitalist at UnityPoint Health-Meriter,[10] and as an assistant professor in the Neonatology and Newborn Nursery division at the University of Wisconsin Department of Pediatrics.[7][11][12] Her research focuses on racial inequities and disparities in health care,[7][13] and has included conducting interviews with Black women about their experiences with the health care system to help improve health care services related to pregnancy and infant care.[6] She also worked with Harambee Village Doulas and the African American Breastfeeding Alliance to create a program to support pregnant people and infants.[6]

In 2018, Zapata was selected for the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Centennial Scholar program, which granted her three years of 50 percent protected time to focus on public health research.[14] In 2019, she was awarded a two-year New Investigator Grant from the Partnership Education and Research Committee (PERC) of the Wisconsin Partnership Program, for a project titled "Addressing Black Infant Mortality in Wisconsin through a Collaborative Health Equity Approach to Community-Based, Group Prenatal Care and Infant Support."[15]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she has conducted outreach to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy with local community groups and individuals.[3] In 2020, she served as the advisor to University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health students, who invited health care workers to a White Coats for Black Lives rally in June 2020, where she marched with her daughter and spoke to the crowd about racism and implicit bias.[6]

In September 2020, Zapata was appointed to the Governor's Health Equity Council by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.[16] In May 2021, she was named chief medical officer and state epidemiologist for community health at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.[17][18]

Youth empowerment[edit]

Zapata is the founder of Beyond Beautiful International, an international mentoring program for girls that offers workshops, coaching, books, and video series.[19][20] In 2018, she toured seven cities in the Midwest on the Girls Empowerment Tour, a series of conferences with social workers, authors, youth counselors, ministers, and musicians,[21][22][4] and was a speaker at the Black Girl Magic Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.[23] At youth conferences, she performs a poem she wrote that became the basis for her book, Beyond Beautiful: A Girl's Guide to Unlocking the Power of Inner Beauty, Self Esteem, Resilience, and Courage, and asks her audience to participate by chanting lines that include, "I'm courageous, I'm resilient, I'm confident, I'm creative".[21] The book has been adapted into a student workbook and translated into Swahili.[20][22]

Zapata has served as the faculty director for the local branch of The Ladder, a national mentoring program supported by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County.[12][4] She is also the co-founder and has served as the director of the Madison Inspirational Youth Choir.[4] She also founded the Madam Dreamers Academy, an online mentoring program designed to support young women pursuing medical careers.[24]

Awards and recognition[edit]

Works[edit]

  • Zapata, Jasmine; Co-authors (2016). She Conquered. Jasmine Zapata. ISBN 978-0998053011.[19]
  • Zapata, Jasmine (2017). Beyond Beautiful: A Girl's Guide to Unlocking the Power of Inner Beauty, Self Esteem, Resilience, and Courage. Motivational M.D. Enterprises, LLC. ISBN 9780998053028.

Personal life[edit]

Zapata has three children with her husband Miguel.[4] Around Thanksgiving 2020, Zapata, her mother, husband, and one of her three children tested positive for COVID-19.[26][1] Following their recovery, Zapata and her husband donated convalescent plasma.[27][10][1] Her great aunt died from COVID-19.[3] Zapata and her mother were vaccinated together in March 2021.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Haines, Stephanie (March 17, 2021). "'I wasn't sure there wasn't any hope in sight': Milwaukee hospital workers reflect on one year since COVID-19 pandemic began". WTMJ-TV. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Johnson, Mark; Ghose, Tia (August 23, 2021). "Empty Cradles: Is stress to blame for preterm births?". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. MSN. Retrieved 24 September 2021. This story was originally published April 16, 2011. It is a part of the series Empty Cradles.
  3. ^ a b c d e Wahlberg, David (May 10, 2021). "Dane County leads state in COVID-19 vaccination, but racial disparities persist". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Schmick, Andrea (June 11, 2019). "Jasmine Zapata aims to empower communities to aid prevention". Quarterly magazine. University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Young Alumna of the Year Award". Marquette University. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d VanEgeren, Jessica; Smith, Susan Lampert (July 6, 2020). "Part Two: Systemic Racism In Health Care". Up North News. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Wojcik, Marisa (April 15, 2021). "With Wisconsin Disparities in Mind, Researchers and Advocates Reimagine Health Care for Black Mothers". PBS Wisconsin. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Inspired Empowerment". Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. University of Wisconsin-Madison. February 1, 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Jasmine Y. Zapata, MD". UWHealth. UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  10. ^ a b "UW Health says Midwest is in critical need of convalescent plasma". WKOW. January 6, 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Jasmine Zapata named chief medical officer, state epidemiologist". Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. University of Wisconsin-Madison. May 14, 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Meet the Speakers: Jasmine Zapata, MD, MPH". Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. University of Wisconsin-Madison. August 1, 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  13. ^ Garton, Nicholas (May 13, 2020). "Racial disparities heightened with COVID-19 crisis". The Capital Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Jasmine Zapata, MD, MPH, Named an SMPH Centennial Scholar". Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. University of Wisconsin–Madison. July 1, 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  15. ^ "2019 Annual Report". Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  16. ^ Goldbeck, Madison (September 30, 2020). "Gov. Evers announces 33 appointments to Health Equity Council ahead of first meeting". WDJT-TV. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  17. ^ Dahmer, David (May 11, 2021). "Dr. Jasmine Zapata named chief medical officer and state epidemiologist for community health at Wisconsin DHS". Madison365. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  18. ^ Dohms-Harter, Elizabeth (May 24, 2021). "Wisconsin's New Epidemiologist Wants To Be A 'Listening Ear' For Statewide Community". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  19. ^ a b c Dahmer, David (November 2, 2018). "Dr. Jasmine Zapata Wins 2018 ATHENA Young Professional Award". Madison365. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  20. ^ a b Pasque, Lisa Speckhard (April 21, 2018). "Madison pediatrician, Hip Hop architect, UW professor team up for Kenyan girls fleeing abuse". The Capital Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  21. ^ a b Pasque, Lisa Speckhard (July 18, 2018). "Madison pediatrician Jasmine Zapata kicks off Midwest 'Girls Empowerment Tour'". The Capital Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  22. ^ a b Dahmer, David (July 18, 2018). ""Beyond Beautiful:" Dr. Jasmine Zapata Launches Seven-City Midwest Girls Empowerment Tour". Madison365. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  23. ^ Pasque, Lisa Speckhard (May 3, 2018). "Madison's Black Girl Magic conference celebrates joy, confidence and sisterhood". The Capital Times. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  24. ^ a b Dahmer, David (August 21, 2020). "Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation presents Dr. Jasmine Zapata with 2020 "Superhero of Medicine" award". Madison365. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  25. ^ "Outstanding Women of Color honored at UW-Madison". WKOW. March 5, 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  26. ^ a b Worland, Gayle (June 14, 2021). "'Black resilience' theme of this year's Juneteenth celebration". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  27. ^ Tomei, Savanna (January 7, 2021). "COVID Survivors' Plasma Needed Before Vaccine Distribution Goes Wide". NY1. Retrieved 24 September 2021.

External links[edit]

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