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2020 Champion for Change: Toyin Ajayi
Awesome.
Brilliant.
Caring.
Those are just three words that people use to describe Toyin Ajayi.
Add to that her outstanding commitment to survivors of sexual violence, and you’ll start to understand why we’re honoring Toyin as this year’s Champion for Change at our Virtual Community Celebration on September 24.
A BARCC board member from 2012 to 2019, Toyin has shown an unwavering dedication—through her words and her actions—to BARCC’s work.
In Toyin’s own words: “I’m committed to BARCC's mission, its role within the community, and the need it seeks to fill in both providing services for survivors and seeking to find ways to prevent violence and engage individuals in making change. I enjoy the opportunity to collaborate with so many smart, gifted, and passionate people toward a common goal.”
Toyin first became familiar with BARCC when she interacted with a medical advocate at the hospital where she worked at the time. She saw firsthand the difference an advocate’s support can make in a survivor’s healing process. And as a doctor, Toyin knows some of the challenges that survivors and communities face when it comes to health care and sexual violence.
That’s why she is now a cofounder and chief health officer at Cityblock Health, a New York–based medical practice dedicated to improving the health of communities through local, accessible, personalized care. Cityblock operates on a model that centers on trust, addresses root causes of health, and lifts up the people it serves. She has spoken about this approach at TEDMED, the Aspen Ideas Festival, and Quality Talks.
Toyin has made remarkable contributions to the field of sexual violence response and prevention. She worked with BARCC and the Mass Medical Society to provide training and support for her fellow physicians to most effectively respond when a disclosure of sexual violence happens in their practice. She is a recognized leader in addressing the intersecting needs of people with complex health and mental health needs. She continually influences how health care professionals engage with the communities to which they provide care while ensuring that some of the most vulnerable have the care they deserve. Toyin is forging a path toward an equitable, caring, and comforting environment for all people who seek medical care, especially those whose needs are often misunderstood or overlooked.
BARCC Executive Director Gina Scaramella shared, “Toyin is incredible, and she has been a steadfast BARCC ambassador and supporter of survivors. She served on our board of directors for many years and brought her network into BARCC. She supports our events, and even hosts an annual run to benefit BARCC. I’m so grateful that she is staying connected to BARCC as an advisor, as we continue to look at the health impacts survivors face. Her thought partnership and insight related to health systems, disparities, and impacts are invaluable.”
By selecting Toyin for this year’s Champion for Change, BARCC not only recognizes her for the remarkable contributions she has made to this organization, but also encourages others in health care to follow her lead. If all medical professionals approached their work with the same care and dedication that Toyin demonstrates every day, healing and change would be so much more attainable for all survivors, their loved ones, and their communities.