Dr. Robsan (Halkeno) Tura

Dr. Tura was appointed assistant commissioner for the Health Improvement Bureau in January 2025 by Commissioner Dr. Brooke Cunningham. As assistant commissioner, Dr. Tura oversees the department’s Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Division, Injury Prevention and Mental Health Division, and the Child and Family Health Division.

Professional background

Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Tura served from March 2023 as assistant commissioner for the Health Equity Bureau, overseeing 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 served as the department’s lead for proactive and strategic health equity partnerships and led the department’s work to advance equity in its day-to-day services and programs.

Previously, as the director of the department’s Center for Health Equity, Dr. Tura directed the development, implementation, and evaluation of efforts to advance health equity in Minnesota. Prior to 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 public health programs, including disease surveillance and investigation, maternal and child health, environmental health, public health clinic, 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.