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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 12, 2024 
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jeff Van Ness, 202-204-7515; jvanness@communityplans.net 

ACAP RECOGNIZES EDITH AMPONSAH WITH SYLVIA B. KELLY MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIP FOR HEALTH EQUITY 

WASHINGTON—Today, the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) announced its second annual Sylvia B. Kelly Medical Scholarship for Health Equity winner as Edith Amponsah, a fourth-year medical student at The Tulane University School of Medicine. Amponsah was recognized for her high academic achievement and her abiding commitment to improving Black maternal health.  

Throughout her career, Amponsah has worked to reduce health disparities, with a focus on enhancing the well-being of Black women and children. She has served as a certified doula and lactation consultant, assisting women in her community who don’t have access to these services. Her research activities have included demographic analysis of the knowledge and utilization of milk banks with a special interest in knowledge within Black families, investigating the connection between adverse childhood events and pregnancy outcomes, and evaluating the impact of a national program aimed at reducing neonatal mortality in Ghana.  

As President of The Tulane University School of Medicine’s Student Admissions Board, Amponsah has also participated in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives and served as a mentor–opening new doors for future Black medical students. She is also the co-creator of the Tulane University Labor Support Initiative, which aims to establish a volunteer labor support program for uninsured and underinsured patients. 

“Addressing the national crisis of Black maternal mortality continues to be a priority for ACAP and our member Safety Net Health Plans,” said ACAP CEO Margaret A. Murray. “Edith’s education and professional accomplishments exemplify her commitment to improving health outcomes for Black women and children as a future physician. She is exactly the person this scholarship was created for.” 

In addition to her medical studies, Amponsah holds a Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in maternal and child health from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

The Sylvia B. Kelly Medical Scholarship is a $25,000 grant given to a rising fourth-year medical student in an effort to improve health equity by focusing attention and resources on the significant disparities in maternal health outcomes among Black women. 

The scholarship is administered by National Medical Fellowships (NMF), which has provided scholarships and support for underrepresented minority students in medicine and the health professions since 1946. NMF alumni serve tens of millions of patients every year. 

About ACAP: 
ACAP represents 79 nonprofit Safety Net Health Plans, which collectively serve more than 25 million people enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare, Marketplaces, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other public health programs. For more information, visit www.communityplans.net. 

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