Bio

Board Member, NALHE
Associate Director
American Hospital Association

Laura Castellanos is an associate director at the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Health Research and Educational Trust. In her role, Laura manages the association-wide initiative Hospitals Against Violence focusing on educating the health care field on leading practices and innovative approaches to workplace safety and community violence prevention, including human trafficking and youth violence prevention. Laura also supports the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity (IFDHE) in developing strategic alliances to advance the health of minority communities. Laura recently led the creation of a strategic alliance with UnidosUS, formerly known as the National Council of La Raza, resulting in a collaboration to advance the health of Latino communities by increasing representation in health care governance, youth violence prevention and building community resiliency. Laura was the inaugural Richard J. Umbdenstock and the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity Executive Fellow at the AHA, supporting the executive office and initiatives related to health equity and social justice. Prior to the AHA, Laura was a senior project manager in human resources at Houston Methodist Hospital System, Texas. She was also an intern for the Institute for Diversity in Health Management’s Summer Enrichment Program at Houston Methodist working on initiatives related to coordination of care and quality improvement. Laura holds a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Houston and a bachelor of science in nutritional sciences from the University of Texas at Austin. She currently serves as a board member of Mujeres Latinas en Acción, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides social services, domestic violence and sexual assault support, immigration services, and leadership development for Latinas and their families. She previously served as president of the Healthcare Student Association at the University of Houston and a member of the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives’ planning committee.