Dr. Robsan (Halkeno) Tura

Dr. Tura was appointed assistant commissioner for the Health Equity Bureau in March 2023 by Commissioner Dr. Brooke Cunningham. As assistant commissioner, Dr. Tura oversees the department’s Health Equity Strategy and Innovation Division; the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging; the Office of American Indian Health; the Office of African American Health; and the Health Equity Performance and Research Section. Dr Tura also serves as the department’s lead for proactive and strategic health equity partnerships and leads the department’s work to advance equity in its day-to-day services and programs.

Professional background

Prior to his current position at MDH, Dr. Tura served as the director of the department’s Center for Health Equity, where he directed the development, implementation and evaluation of efforts to advance health equity in Minnesota. Before joining MDH, Dr. Tura served as deputy director for Blackhawk County Public Health in Waterloo, Iowa. In that role he drove health equity initiatives, strategic planning and implementation of other programs, including disease surveillance and investigation, maternal and child health, and chronic disease prevention.

He also oversaw the county’s first joint assessment of community health needs, including outreach to underrepresented populations. Prior to that role, he served as director of Refugee and Immigrants Health Programs for EMBARC IOWA in Des Moines. He also has extensive experience in international health initiatives serving Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Educational background

Dr. Tura holds a doctorate in community and behavioral health from the University of Iowa and has master's degrees in public health education and public health nutrition. He is a certified health education specialist.