Dr. Jill Jim / Navajo Nation photo
By Jamie Landers | Arizona Republic
Dr. Jill Jim, executive director of the Navajo Department of Health, has been selected as a member of President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Advisory Board, according to the Biden transition team.
For the past 18 years, Jim has served in nonprofit, state and federal agencies, the Biden team said in a news release. Jim became a Cabinet member in the Navajo Nation in 2019.
According to the news release, Jim has dedicated her career to “preventing chronic diseases and addressing health care and health disparities among American Indians/Alaska Natives.”
The Navajo Nation closed between March and August while recording the highest COVID-19 per capita infection rate in the country. In May, the Navajo Nation surpassed New York based on the number of cases per 100,000 residents.
The nation ordered a new three-week lockdown earlier in November as cases rose again.