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Healthcare Exec Trinita Ashford on Motherhood and the Medical Industry

By Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson The Birmingham Times Trinita Ashford knows about balance. The mother of seven has served as executive director of ConnectionHealth, a community-based organization that has recruited, trained, employed and deployed community health workers (CHWs) since 2021. CHW is just a fancy term for what people do naturally, said Ashford: “A lot of people […]
The post Healthcare Exec Trinita Ashford on Motherhood and the Medical Industry first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 year ago

December 5, 2023

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Trinita Ashford has always been interested in working in health care. In fact, her early aspirations involved wanting to work as a nurse. (PROVIDED)

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By Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson

The Birmingham Times

Trinita Ashford knows about balance. The mother of seven has served as executive director of ConnectionHealth, a community-based organization that has recruited, trained, employed and deployed community health workers (CHWs) since 2021.

CHW is just a fancy term for what people do naturally, said Ashford: “A lot of people are CHWs, and they don’t even realize it.”

“You may have a neighbor that is always trying to help the neighbor next door with resources—it could be that neighbor that needs help getting transportation, getting to the hospital, or getting to a clinical appointment. … That’s something a CHW would do,” she explained.

CHWs play a pivotal role in improving health outcomes “by bridging the gaps in health care access and promoting health literacy within underserved communities,” Ashford said. “They [have a] unique ability to establish trust, provide culturally sensitive care, and navigate social determinants of health, contributing to reducing health disparities—and that is a big thing in our communities.”

At ConnectionHealth, located on Magnolia Avenue on Birmingham’s Southside, Ashford manages a staff of more than 20, in addition to contract workers. The organization, which has so far trained 185 CHWs, has partnerships with the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

And, recently, ConnectionHealth was awarded a $3 million Alabama Community Health Worker Institute for Education, Vocational Training, and Engagement (ACHIEVE) grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to expand its training program, allowing the organization to equip more CHWs for service.

A Skillful Juggling Act

While Ashford, 51, manages the demanding role as an executive director in the ever-evolving medical industry, she also balances the roles of motherhood and marriage. She has seven children: two sets of twins—24-year-old daughters, both pursuing medical careers, and 13-year-old boys—two other daughters, ages 29 and 18, and a 16-year-old son.

While parenting seven kids is certainly a “monumental task with lots of prayer, I find the strength, guidance, and patience needed to nurture each child individually,” she said. “Prayer keeps me grounded and provides a source of comfort and hope in challenging times.”

The medical industry has deep roots in her life and her family, as she is married to an obstetrician, Rowell S. Ashford II, M.D., whose father was also an obstetrician. The couple recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on September 5, and, although the couple hadn’t planned anything yet to celebrate, Ashford said they’re “working on something special.”

Ashford has always been interested in working in health care. In fact, her early aspirations involved wanting to work as a nurse, but “that changed after I took a class at UAB,” she recalled. “I was taking a class that looked at the Foundation to Health Education and the instructor talked about preventative care. That sounded more appealing to me.”

And so, it began.

Diverse Education and Travel

Ashford, a Birmingham native, graduated from Ensley High School in 1989. She then attended the University of Maryland and studied abroad, in Munich, Germany, for her first two years of college. A potential career in modeling, plus a desire to know her birth mom, who was a nurse in the U.S. Army, led her to study overseas. “I knew my mother, but my dad raised me,” said Ashford.

For her third year of college, she transferred to UAB and did her first internship at the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Division at the Watts Health Department in Los Angeles, California, an opportunity that was arranged by her aunt. After the internship, Ashford returned to Birmingham and earned a bachelor’s degree in health education in 1994 and a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree in 1998.

Then, Ashford sought a career change and obtained both a real estate license and a broker’s license. Currently, she is an associate broker at ARC Realty.

“I’ve always been interested in real estate. I’ve been interested in investing,” she said. “A friend and I decided we would do it together, and we’ve been partners for 15 years.”

While she still works in the real estate industry, Ashford has returned to health care. Since 2021, she has been in her position at ConnectionHealth, where she works on several projects, including promoting the role of CHWs.

“They are receiving training in cultural competencies, public health knowledge, stress management, and burnout prevention, [in addition to developing] communications, advocacy, and interpersonal skills [and learning] better ways to navigate the health care system,” said Ashford. “We do a whole module on self-care, [as well as teach] outreach strategies. Through their training, they do a lot of role-playing.”

Ashford pointed out a number of important programs, including From Day One (FDO), which assigns CHWs to pregnant women from the first trimester through the baby’s first year of life. “Those CHWs can come in contact with all kinds of different things that can be going on with the pregnant woman,” she said.

Where It All Began

The health executive never forgets her roots: “I grew up in Ensley in a middle-class family,” said Ashford.

“My dad worked at U.S. Pipe in Bessemer,” she continued. “My dad only had a high school education, and he has two daughters. When I got my master’s degree, he was so excited. You would have thought I won some money.”

Even though it can be a challenge to juggle her myriad family and career demands, Ashford finds time for herself and plans to double down on that effort in the near future.

“My favorite thing to do is get on my Peloton and work out,” she said. “I also like working out in groups, and I intend to get my membership back at Lifetime Fitness. It was so much fun. I would easily go four times a week before [the COVID-19 pandemic].”

When it comes to balancing it all, there is no formula, said Ashford: “I just do it! I don’t think there’s a perfect way to do it. I think it’s just what women do in general.”

And it’s not just about checking the boxes on her resume. There is a greater reward in the work she’s doing at ConnectionHealth, she said.

“Being back in the public health space, the work that we’re doing, the lives that we’re impacting means a lot to me personally, especially working in vulnerable populations and underserved communities,” said Ashford.

To learn more about ConnectionHealth or to partner with them in their work in the community, visit http://www.connectionhealth.org.

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

The post Healthcare Exec Trinita Ashford on Motherhood and the Medical Industry first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Remembering George Floyd

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3 days ago

May 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Published

4 days ago

May 23, 2025

Oakland Post

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.

As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.

Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.

We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.

The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.

We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.

Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

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Hate and Chaos Rise in Trump’s America

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains.

Published

4 days ago

May 23, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups operating across the United States in 2024. In its latest Year in Hate & Extremism report, the SPLC reveals how these groups are embedding themselves in politics and policymaking while targeting marginalized communities through intimidation, disinformation, and violence. “Extremists at all levels of government are using cruelty, chaos, and constant attacks on communities and our democracy to make us feel powerless,” said SPLC President Margaret Huang. The report outlines how hard-right groups aggressively targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout 2024. Figures on the far right falsely framed DEI as a threat to white Americans, with some branding it a form of “white genocide.” After the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a former Utah legislator blamed the incident on DEI, posting “DEI = DIE.”

Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains. Similar threats hit Jewish institutions and Planet Fitness locations after far-right social media accounts attacked them for trans-inclusive policies. Telegram, which SPLC describes as a hub for hate groups, helped extremists cross-recruit between neo-Nazi, QAnon, and white nationalist spaces. The platform’s lax moderation allowed groups like the Terrorgram Collective—designated terrorists by the U.S. State Department—to thrive. Militia movements were also reorganized, with 50 groups documented in 2024. Many, calling themselves “minutemen,” trained in paramilitary tactics while lobbying local governments for official recognition. These groups shared personnel and ideology with white nationalist organizations.

The manosphere continued to radicalize boys and young men. The Fresh & Fit podcast, now listed as a hate group, promoted misogyny while mocking and attacking Black women. Manosphere influencers used social media algorithms to drive youth toward male-supremacy content. Turning Point USA played a key role in pushing white nationalist rhetoric into mainstream politics. Its leader Charlie Kirk claimed native-born Americans are being replaced by immigrants, while the group advised on Project 2025 and organized Trump campaign events. “We know that these groups build their power by threatening violence, capturing political parties and government, and infesting the mainstream discourse with conspiracy theories,” said Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “By exposing the players, tactics, and code words of the hard right, we hope to dismantle their mythology and inspire people to fight back.”

Click here for the full report or visit http://www.splcenter.org/resources/guides/year-hate-extremism-2024.