Expert in global public health will help advance aging well for all

Contact:
Simona Combi
Public Relations Manager
571-527-3982
simona.combi@ncoa.org

July 3, 2024, Arlington, VA—The National Council on Aging (NCOA), the national voice for every person’s right to age well, welcomes Somava Saha, MD, as its new Chair of the Board of Directors starting this month. Saha replaces Kathy Greenlee, former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging, who served as NCOA Board Chair from October 2021 to June 2024.

“We are thrilled to have Soma’s leadership as we advance our promise to making aging well a right, not a privilege, for every American,” said Ramsey Alwin, NCOA President and CEO. “Her focus on equity and her proven results in improving health outcomes for a diverse range of populations that have been historically marginalized make her uniquely qualified to guide our agenda. We also thank Kathy for her incredibly impactful service. She leveraged her impressive breadth of experience in aging to put NCOA on a path to long-term success.”

Saha has been a global public health practitioner for over 20 years. She is President and CEO of Well-being and Equity in the World (WE in the World), and she serves as executive lead of the Well-being in the Nation (WIN) Network. The two organizations work together to advance intergenerational well-being and equity.

“I’m excited to step into this leadership role with the NCOA board and staff to ensure everyone can age well,” Saha said.

“We have big gaps to close, especially for women, people of color, low-income, rural, and LGBTQ+ older adults. We need to ensure that every American has access to the resources they deserve to age with health and financial security.”

Previously, as vice president at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Saha founded and led the 100 Million Healthier Lives initiative, which brought together 1,850+ partners in 30+ countries reaching more than 500 million people to improve health, well-being, and equity. Before that, she served as vice president of Patient Centered Medical Home Development at Cambridge Health Alliance, where she co-led a transformation that improved health outcomes for a safety net population above the national 90th percentile and reduced medical expense by 10%.

 

About NCOA
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is the national voice for every person’s right to age well. We believe that how we age should not be determined by gender, color, sexuality, income, or ZIP code. Working with thousands of national and local partners, we provide resources, tools, best practices, and advocacy to ensure every person can age with health and financial security. Founded in 1950, we are the oldest national organization focused on older adults. Learn more at www.ncoa.org and @NCOAging.