Dr. Omar A. Escontrías’ expertise is centered in the areas of community and patient engagement, coalition building, health policy, and evidence-based research. Over the span of his career, Dr. Escontrías has worked with local and state governments, as well as non-profit organizations in the areas of public policy, disease prevention and health promotion to improve the health and lives of patients and communities. By the time Dr. Escontrías joined the National Health Council (NHC) in April 2022 as its Senior Vice President of Equity, Research and Programs, he had already spent 15 years building a career fighting systemic health care inequalities in historically underrepresented communities. Escontrías is a proud first-generation immigrant, boasting his bilingual and bicultural background as one of his greatest strengths. Backed up by his wealth of bicultural experiences, from his earliest days as a child in México, to his years organizing community outreach projects, Dr. Escontrías is thrilled to be contributing to the NHC’s patient-centered advocacy and policy engagement efforts. Dr. Escontrías earned a Bachelor of Science in molecular and cellular biology, a Master of Public Health in epidemiology, and a Doctorate of Public Health in health policy and management, all from the University of Arizona.