Beverly A. Cooper and Ashanti Woods, M.D., FAAP, Named to the Mercy Health Services Board of Trustees

Mercy Health Services Executive Board Chair Sister Helen Amos, RSM, announced that Beverly A. Cooper, Vice President of The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation, and Ashanti Woods, M.D, board certified pediatrician with Mercy Family Care Physicians, have been appointed to the MHS Board of Trustees. Members of the Board are chosen based on their professional and life experience, and their commitment to the Baltimore community.

“We are deeply honored and excited to welcome Ms. Cooper and Dr. Woods to the Mercy Health Services Board of Trustees. They each bring a wealth of experience and expertise in their fields and have strong roots in the Baltimore region. They will be tremendous assets to Mercy helping our mission to provide excellent clinical services within a community of compassionate care to all those we serve,” Sister Helen Amos said.

“Mercy is truly blessed to have one of the finest governing boards among major corporations and non-profit institutions in the region. Our board is comprised of Baltimore’s business and civic leaders, top clinicians, and the Sisters of Mercy—all individuals known for their acumen and vision. We look forward to the contributions of Ms. Cooper and Dr. Woods to Mercy Health Services Board of Trustees,” said David N. Maine, M.D., President & CEO of Mercy Health Services.

A native of Baltimore, Ms. Cooper began her career in the federal government, serving as Chief of the Systems Security Policy Branch, before leaving for The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation. She sits on a number of non-profit boards, including The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History and Culture, the Archdiocese of Baltimore School Board and Independent Review Board, the African Art Museum of Maryland, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, the Loyola Early Learning Center and the Laurel Cemetery Memorial Project. Ms. Cooper has a long history of community service as a past member of such boards as the Maryland State Board of Education, the Baltimore School for the Arts, Catholic Charities, Associated Black Charities, Sinai Hospital, and Saint Mary’s Seminary and University, among others.

Dr. Woods is a proud product of Baltimore City Public Schools, including Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. Board-Certified in Pediatrics, Dr. Woods earned both his college and medical degrees at Howard University in Washington D.C., graduating as Class President in 2007 from the College of Medicine.  From there, he completed his pediatric residency in 2010 at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Named a “Top Doctor” by Baltimore magazine, Dr. Woods has received a number of awards in his field, including The G. Bowers Mansdorfer Award for Primary Care presented by Mercy Medical Center, and the Primary Care Pediatrician Award, presented by the University of Maryland Ambulatory Center. His titles have included Medical Director, Health Hero, Baltimore City Public Schools Influenza Vaccination Campaign, and Board Member of the Greater Baltimore Health Improvement Initiative. Dr. Woods has a number of clinical publications and presentations to his credit, and is often sought by print and broadcast media as an expert in children’s health. A resident of Baltimore City, Dr. Woods is married with two children.