Dwana “Dee” Calhoun

Director

As Director, Dee is responsible for the oversight, leadership and coordination of all activities undertaken by the SelfMade Health Network.

Dee has a 15-year background, primarily at the senior management level in various corporate and government environments focused on healthcare quality improvement, chronic disease management and public health. She has worked closely with diverse entities including primary healthcare associations, quality improvement organizations (QIOs), academic institutions (including University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and Emory School of Medicine-Division of Endocrinology), business groups and non-profit advocacy organizations such as the American Diabetes Association and has presented at national and state meetings including the National Conference on Tobacco or Health.

Dee was first introduced to healthcare while working as a teen volunteer at a Federally Qualified Health Center in a rural parish in southern Louisiana. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-Medicine: Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette, Louisiana.

While attending Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health a decade later, she was re-introduced to the impact of healthcare systems on vulnerable populations while completing a group project as part of her “Health and Homelessness” course. She later graduated with honors attaining a Master of Science degree in Community Health from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. Dee also completed an internship at the Eastern Virginia Medical School Leonard Strelitz Diabetes Institute.

As part of her work with SelfMade Health Network, Dee serves in the following roles:

• American College of Radiology (ACR) Lung Cancer Screening Committee (Since 2022)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Official Reviewer
• American Public Health Association (APHA)-Medical Care Section

National Conference Presentations: Oral

• 2022 National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH)-Sponsored by NNPHI and CDC-OSH Subplenary Session-CDC National Networks: “Advancing Health Equity with the 10 Essential Public Health Services”
• 2022 National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH)- Sponsored by NNPHI and CDC-OSH Health Systems Session: Bringing Tobacco Cessation Closer to Rural, Distant and Hard-to-Reach Areas
• 2017 CDC National Cancer Conference: Visualizing the Future Through Prevention, Innovation, and Communication Innovative Public-Private Partnerships to Address Lung Cancer Disparities
  CDC - 2017 National Cancer Conference - Concurrent Breakout Sessions #1 (iiab.me)
  http://medbox.iiab.me/modules/en-cdc/www.cdc.gov//cancer/conference/sessions/session1.htm
• 2016 Academy of Oncology Nurses & Patient Navigators (AONN) Seventh Annual Navigation & Survivorship Conference
  https://aonnonline.org/conferences/conference-highlights/576-highlights-from-thursday-november-17-2016
  https://www.jons-online.com/issues/2017/january-2017-vol-9-no-1/1571-cancer-health-disparities-among-low-income-populations
• 2016 Nebraska Minority Health Conference: Practice, Research and Partnerships: Threading It All Together To Achieve Health Equity
• 2017 Poster Presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)- Tenth AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved Investing in Public-Private Partnerships to Address Breast Cancer Disparities among African-American Women (Low-income) within a Non-Medicaid ACA Expansion State and Appalachian Region

Shonta Chambers

Executive Vice President (EVP)- Health Equity Initiatives and Community Engagement

Shonta Chambers is a seasoned non-profit executive and public health professional whose career spans more than 25 years of experience in chronic disease prevention, health promotion, community engagement, and women’s health. As Executive Vice President-Health Equity Initiatives and Community Engagement for the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF), she is responsible for the development and execution of the Foundation’s national strategy to address health equity, with a specific focus on persons with chronic and complex health conditions residing in low-income communities with high disease morbidity and premature mortality. This includes establishing benchmarks to measure progress and impact. Shonta specifically drives program initiatives that respond to unaddressed social determinants of health and the social need gaps caused. As the staff lead for PAF's health equity work promoting person-centered care, she engages strategically with community stakeholders aligning with all facets where people seek assistance, to mitigate barriers to health care.

Shonta also serves as the Principal Investigator for the SelfMade Health Network, one of eight national networks supported by CDC-RFA-DP23-0015: CDC’s National Networks Driving Action: Preventing Tobacco-and Cancer-Related Health Disparities by Building Equitable Communities. She provides leadership in implementing and evaluating evidence-based strategies to advance the prevention of commercial tobacco use and promote early detection of cancer among populations with low socio-economic characteristics with the overall goal of decreasing related disparities.

Shonta has numerous awards and recognitions to her credit and is most proud of recent awards from community-based and non-profit organizations such as Sisters Working It Out, Sisters Network (Memphis and Chicago Chapters), and Black Women’s Health Imperative, Rare Diversity Coalition. In 2024, she moderated a panel at the inaugural White House Forum on Rare Diseases, hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Shonta has also been featured on podcasts such as “Hit Like A Girl” and “The Health Advocates”. In 2021, she was recognized by Cancer Health Magazine as among the top 25 individuals fighting to break down barriers to the best cancer care for all.

Shonta holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree from Talladega College. Shonta is a dual caregiver for both her parents and understands firsthand the challenges of caregiving. She is an Atlanta native and enjoys mentoring young women, golfing, and spending time with her two sons Keelan, Jr., and Caleb.

Asyria Daniels

SMHN Community of Practice Program Manager

Asyria Daniels, MPH, is a public health strategist with over four years of dynamic experience in program management, advocacy, community engagement, and policy development dedicated to advancing health equity and justice. Her career epitomizes an unwavering commitment to dismantling systemic barriers and fostering inclusivity in historically and systemically excluded communities.

Asyria's career is marked by her leadership in spearheading, managing, and supporting initiatives that have significantly advanced the cause of addressing systemic health and social disparities. Her work has led to tangible and equitable outcomes, as she has successfully led technical assistance and advocacy programs, managed multi-sector collaborations, and delivered impactful educational presentations and training on policy, systems, and environmental changes.

Ms. Daniels is the perfect mix of humanitarian and hustler, driven by a relentless passion for health equity. Her adeptness in advocacy, program management, and cultivating alliances positions her as a catalyst for transformative change. Ms. Daniels’ career trajectory is a testament to her dedication to fostering inclusive communities and driving impactful, positive change in public health.

Education:
Undergraduate:
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina- BS, Exercise Science
Graduate:
Georgia State University- MPH, Health Management and Policy
Professional Activities:
Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia Chapter- Board Member