Miriam Burnett, MD
Biography
Serving Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Mozambique, and Northeast Lesotho
Rev. Dr. Miriam J. Burnett, MD, MDiv, MPH, CHCQM, FABQAURP, serves as the Supervisor of the Eighteenth Episcopal District and Medical Director of the International Health Commission of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In June 2020, she was appointed by the National Council of Churches, USA (NCCUSA) representative to the World Council of Churches Consultation with its ecumenical partners on health to discuss our responses to COVID-19 and its implications on the future of the health and healing ministry. This consultation is beginning active partnership with the World Health Organization. In addition, Dr. Burnett continues to work with the National Volunteer Agencies Active in Disaster (NVOAD). She is an ordained Itinerant Elder in the AME Church.
Dr. Burnett serves as the President of Resource And Promotion of Health Alliance, Inc. (R.A.P.H.A., Inc.), a non-profit Health Education and Promotion Consulting Company with 30 years of experience aiding faith-based (FBO) and community (CBO) organizations as they strive to optimize health for their communities. As a minister and medical doctor, Rev. Dr. Burnett is a strong advocate of ‘holistic health,’ a concept that embodies physical, psychological, social, economic and spiritual health, and is powerfully explained in her speeches across the US and the globe. She sees faith-based organizations as specifically empowered to create this possibility and has put the power of her commitment to support their efforts.
Dr. Burnett received a B. A. in Psychology from York College of the City University of New York, undertook postgraduate studies from Queens College of CUNY and obtained a Doctor of Medicine from the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Burnett, a US Army veteran, completed her Internal Medicine internship and medical residency at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. She later obtained a Master of Public Health in Social and Behavioral Sciences from the Morehouse School of Medicine along with a Master of Divinity from Turner Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center both in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also Board Certified with Fellowship designation in Health Care Quality and Management with subspecialty certification as a Physician Advisor. She completed Six Sigma Green Belt with emphasis on Healthcare training at Villanova University. She is also a certified Professional Medical Coder. Dr. Burnett completed the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Contact Tracing certification. She has also completed two (2) units of Clinical Pastoral Education in the Academic Division Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy at Johns Hopkins Health System.
In June 2018, she was appointed the first female pastor of Historic Jones Tabernacle AME Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For the Philadelphia Annual Conference, Dr. Burnett is the leader of the Health and Healing Guidepost Committee and Disaster Preparedness and Response Committee. She is the recipient of many awards, including, but not limited to, the AME Church Women in Ministry Jarena Lee Award, the Abington Township, PA Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Award and the Citizens That Care Award from the Abington Community Task Force. On February 8, 2016, she was inducted into the Turner Theological Seminary Henry McNeal Turner Hall of Fame. She is the recipient of the American Public Health Association (APHA) Black Caucus of Health Workers 2017 Hildrus A. Poindexter Award commemorating a legacy of excellence of promoting health for all individuals especially communities composed of vulnerable populations.
Dr. Burnett was initiated as a Charter Member of Nu Mu Chapter (Queens, NY) is presently a General and Life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She held numerous positions including Chapter President (Nu Mu) and Assistant Graduate Advisor (mentor) to undergraduate students.
Above all, Dr. Miriam Burnett is a person focused upon service with compassion, work with excellence and love without bias.
