DURANT, OK – Choctaw Nation tribal member Mason Emert, MPH, has been appointed to the National Advisory Council (NAC) for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The council began meeting in March 2024, with Emert serving for the next two years.
Emert, an epidemiologist for the Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority (CNHSA) Public Health Department, researches communicable diseases and educates the public about prevention and treatment. In his role at CNHSA, he studies the diseases facing the Choctaw Nation reservation and any disparities as it relates to Native Americans. Throughout the recent winter months, he tracked cases of respiratory diseases to keep CNHSA providers aware of spikes in occurrences of each disease.
“Mason is an excellent example of the Nation investing in our tribal members’ educational pursuits, and then to leadership roles serving our Nation and all of Indian Country,” said Sara Jane Smallwood-Cocke, Senior Government Affairs Strategist.
The National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality is a 20-member panel providing advice and recommendations to AHRQ’s director and to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on priorities for a national health services research agenda.
“I’m always looking for ways to give back to my tribe and community,” said Emert. “Serving on this council will give me the latitude to make tangible progress to obtaining real public health on our Choctaw Nation reservation.”
