About

Rahmeka A. Fort, MPH

Rahmeka Angela (Cox) Fort is a native of the All American City of Fayetteville, North Carolina. She is a 2011 graduate of Seventy First High School. She was the 2011 Miss Seventy First High School. Rahmeka attended East Carolina University (ECU) for undergraduate studies, where she was apart of the Walter and Marie Williams Leadership Program. While at ECU, she participated in the Black Student Union, Signature Sounds, and the Student Government Association Senate. She was also a member of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, where she served as the VP of Professional Development. Rahmeka received a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Hispanic Studies. Rahmeka moved to New York City in 2016 with two checked bags, and a pocket full of dreams, after receiving an acceptance letter from her dream school, New York University (NYU).

At NYU, Rahmeka completed a Master’s in Public Health, with a concentration in Epidemiology from NYU’s Global Public Health program. After graduation, Rahmeka represented the state of New York on behalf of the Miss America Organization as Miss New York 2018. Rahmeka’s favorite past times include: attending red carpet events, influencing through social media marketing, serving as a motivational speaker, and leading as an advocate to “transplant kidneys and transform lives” with her social impact initiative, It Only Takes One.

It Only Takes One was co-founded during Rahmeka’s involvement in the Miss America Organization to bring awareness to kidney health and organ donation through collaborative planning, community initiative and advocacy. Rahmeka pioneered to make It Only Takes One a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, alongside her mother Andrea, who is a 20-year survivor of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). For the last two decades, Rahmeka has worked tirelessly with teams to pioneer CKD legislation across the states of North Carolina and New York. It Only Takes One serves as a way to share her family’s connection to kidney disease and provide support to communities battling CKD at a high rate.

Because CKD often has no symptoms, it can remain undetected for a significant amount of time, until it is advanced. Andrea, like 90% of Americans, didn’t experience any symptoms. Witnessing her mother endure dialysis and Chronic Kidney Disease at an early age equipped her for persevering through challenging situations. Her story paved the way for future endeavors, collaborations and testimonies. Rahmeka’s involvement in clinical research was also inspired by CKD as she worked with dialysis patients for many years while also taking on the role of front-line worker during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rahmeka is also a mental health and cultural competency advocate and enjoys mentoring youth groups in her leisure.

Rahmeka’s personal and professional experience in the public health and clinical research realm ranges from CKD, Hemodialysis, Anemia, Gout, Hyperphosphatemia, Hyperkalemia, Cardiology, Neuromodulation, and Infectious diseases. She has been affiliated with the National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Advocacy Committee, the American Association of Kidney Patients, the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), and the Disabled American Veterans & Auxiliary. Aside from volunteer and advocacy works, Rahmeka enjoys spending quality time with family, traveling, public speaking, singing, cooking, and writing. Rahmeka also spends her spare time talking about trials via TrialTalks, Inc and TrialTalks podcast.