About Us
Who We Are
Born from a vision of equity and empowerment, the Center for Closing the Health Gap was founded in 2004 by former Cincinnati mayor Dwight Tillery to ensure every resident has the opportunity to live a healthy, thriving life. Through education, advocacy, and community partnership, the Health Gap inspires lasting change—building trust, lifting voices, and creating a future where wellness belongs to everyone.
“The issue of health disparities is among the most challenging we face as a society — not just for Cincinnati but for the entire nation. Instead of simple band-aids that address only the symptoms, we’re doing the hard work of addressing the root causes.”
— Dwight Tillery, Closing the Health Gap Founder
A Mission to End Health Disparities
The Center for Closing the Health Gap is a community-based health organization founded in 2004. Since our inception more than two decades ago, we have made it our mission to address health disparities at every level within our community — within government, health systems and the community.
We believe lasting change starts in the community. That’s why we empower residents within our community to take control of their health, share what they learn with their neighbors, and teach future generations to live well. We also partner with local organizations, civic partners, and government officials to establish and sustain efforts to expand access and shape policies that reflect the voices and needs of the people we serve.
Our Dedication to Improving Health Outcomes for the Community
Guided by our mission — We Must Save Us — our organization has instituted many community-based health initiatives under the leadership of our President & CEO Renee Mahaffey Harris, MHP.
Those initiatives include:
Renee Mahaffey Harris, MPH
President & CEO, 2019-Current
- Scaled culturally responsive, neighborhood-based programs (including the Do Right! Campaign, Black Women’s Health Movement, Caring for the Caregivers initiative, and Black Men’s Health events such as Brother, Let’s Talk).
- Empowered community residents to advocate for their own health, including education and health literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic, introducing and trademarking We Must Save Us as a rallying mantra, expanding the Do Right! lifestyle movement to help more people eat, move and live better, and launching disease-focused awareness campaigns and events to help those struggling with mental health, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Integrated prevention, education, screenings, and navigation so residents move seamlessly from awareness to care.
- Equipped community participants with the education and understanding to improve their chronic health conditions through our Diabetes Challenge and Cardiovascular Initiative.
- Built year-round engagement — including community events, trainings, and digital outreach – to meet people where they are and drive engagement and advocacy.
- Strengthened data and feedback loops to continuously improve outcomes (from diabetes education to mental health, maternal health, and beyond).
- The Black Women’s Health Movement is a partnership with organizations and more than 50 women througout the region. Established in 2019, it’s powered by the Health Gap.
Supporting Our Mission Through the Unprecedented Times of COVID-19
The public health emergency of COVID-19 raised the importance of our work to critical levels as the pandemic swiftly and severely impacted the community residents we serve. Rising to the occasion, we quickly developed initiatives and resources to meet rapidly expanding needs.
Top-level efforts, among others, including:
- Partnered with government representatives to host a virtual town hall series with health experts, elected officials, local influencers, and more.
- Built a website that served as a hub of health information and resources.
- Collaborated with organizations to ensure vaccine access.
- Submitted questions and concerns directly to local doctors.
- Spearheaded community research to determine COVID-19 pandemic impacts on the community.
- Launched a community campaign — We Must Save Us — to underscore the previously mentioned initiatives.
The foundation of the work that was launched to help fight COVID-19 will continue to evolve to meet future public health needs as they arise.
A Legacy From Vision to Momentum: The Health Gap’s Evolving Story
The Health Gap was founded in 2004 as The Center for Closing the Health Gap by Dwight Tillery — a Cincinnati native, former City Council member, and the city’s first popularly elected Black mayor.
Mr. Tillery turned his lifelong pursuit of health equity from an aspiration into a plan. He combined his civic and government leadership experience with his commitment to community education to architect and create the Health Gap in Cincinnati. He led the organization until his retirement in 2019 — after nearly two decades of working to make meaningful strides in addressing health disparities in Cincinnati and beyond.
Dwight Tillery
Founder, President & CEO, 2004-2019
Following Mr. Tillery’s retirement in 2019, our current President & CEO Renee Mahaffey Harris, MPH, expanded that legacy from strong roots to measurable reach while continuing to honor Mr. Tillery’s legacy as our founder and a tireless champion for justice.
Continuing the Work Toward a Healthier, Fairer Community
What began as Mr. Tillery’s brave idea is now a regional force for change — modernized, collaborative, and outcomes-driven. As a trusted community engine working every day to eliminate racial and economic health disparities, we continue our work to help ensure Cincinnati’s future is healthier, fairer, and powered by all of us.
“The person who is impacted must see themselves in the solution, because they need to be able to sustain the solution. It is more sustainable when you come at it from the bottom up. We’ve worked to create an organizational model that activates the individual agency of people, versus just serving them.”
— Renee Mahaffey Harris, MPH, Closing the Health Gap President & CEO
Our Health System Funding Partners
More Than Two Decades of Community Partnerships, A Legacy of Community Impact
The Health Gap has had the privilege to work with more than 100 community partners since our founding more than two decades ago. Those partners include: managed care organizations, hospitals, community-based organizations, community councils, schools, minority-owned businesses, community health champions, University of Cincinnati students and faculty, community members, and more.
Because of their support and partnership, our work to empower individuals and activate their agency in their health outcomes is possible.
“I’m proud of the work we do every day, proud of the community leaders who continue to support and fund us, proud of the residents who use our programs to take back control of their health. The impact is real, and it’s all around us. We’ll continue to work hard to make a difference no matter the obstacles.”
— Dwight Tillery, Closing the Health Gap Founder
Our Leadership & Board of Directors
LEADERSHIP
Renee Mahaffey Harris, MPH, President & CEO
The Center for Closing The Health Gap In Greater Cincinnati
Dianne Ebbs, Chair, Board of Directors
School Administrator
Mark A. Vander Laan, Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Of Counsel, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
Patricia Stewart Adams, Treasurer, Board of Directors
Executive Director, GRAD Cincinnati
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rabbi Abie Ingber
Rabbi-in-Residence at Christ Church Cathedral
Nana-Hawayayah Jones, MD
Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Division of Endocrinology
Sean Kelley
Director, Greater Cincinnati STEM Collaborative (GCSC)
U.C. Center for Youth Futures
Laura Moese
President of LULAC Ohio, Educational Foundation
Dr. Arthur M. Pancioli, MD FACEP
Senior Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer, UC Health
James Powell, MD
President, Strategic Medical Associates, LLC
Principal Investigator, National Medical Association’s Project IMPACT
Alicia B. Townsend
Vice President | Community Dev Regional Mgr., US Bank
Corporate Social Responsibility