Program Director of Health Sciences

• Sep 2021 - Present

As Project Manager of Health Sciences, I primarily manage Health Care Administration (HCA), Psychology and Addiction Studies (PAS), and Public Health (PH) in all phases, including administering education programs, conjoining interdepartmental teams, and ensuring compliance with regulations and processes of all accreditation associations. Furthermore, I reinforce program accreditation goals and confirm course curricula in accordance with evidence-based public health research and practice. I collaborate with other Directors, Deans, and university committees regarding academic, student, and faculty policies, procedures and processes, curriculum review and development, resource utilization, facilities oversight and development, and program evaluation and sustainability. I also review student admissions and appeals, while determining transfer credit equivalencies. While negotiating faculty onboarding, mentoring, and development in partnership with university leadership, I also train and mentor adjunct faculty members. KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: • Conceived two public health courses for the DrPH program. • Formulated manual for MPH program. Show less

Adjunct Assistant Professor

• Jan 2018 - Present

I instruct hybrid classes' undergraduate students on Human Anatomy, Disease Management and Prevention, policy development evaluation, systems change, community needs assessment, health education, workplace safety, and community mobilization. I also improvise course curriculum while providing course assistance and grading projects and exams in a timely manner. I offer critical feedback to students regarding coursework and related opportunities, aiding students' contribution to public health research. Additionally, I promote strong ethics and professionalism with students. KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: • Served as liaison for Truth Initiate and GSU on tobacco-free campus policy implementation and enforcement, engaging community and stakeholders to invest in the university. • Selected to serve as Internship Coordinator and supervisor at Kennesaw State University for Master of Public Health students. Show less

Public Health Analyst

• Jan 2022 - Present

As a Public Health Analyst, I perform analysis and synthesis to support and steer personnel responding to highly sensitive and complex Congressional and constituent organization requests, ensuring replies are consistent with organizational missions and goals. Additionally, I independently identify, review, and evaluate policy needs such as public health legislation, executive directives, departmental policy issuances, and voluntary changes in practice by influential organizations or groups, to prepare strategies and proposals in response to those needs. I also generate reports or presentations following appraisal of program outcomes and coordinate complex budget plans. I serve as point of contact for information about public health program evaluation activities within the organization and with external partners.As part of my obligations, I develop short and long-term targets for the institution while collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to identify requirements for policy planning and overall corporative agreement(s).KEY CONTRIBUTIONS:• Managed Corporative Agreement as a Technical Monitor.• Provided technical leadership to five different grantees.• Served as COVID-19 Response Policy and Partnership Lead and Monkey Pox Response Policy Lead. Show less

Management Analyst/ Tanaq Health Services Contract

• Nov 2020 - Dec 2021

As Management Analyst, I principally drove Grants Management Solutions to process funding for grantees and sub-grantees, according to federal law requirements. I also created a team to upgrade technical assistance, grant processing, and data request trainings for incoming/existing Project Officers and Program Support Specialists (PSS) at state and local level. As part of my responsibilities, I formulated one-pager success stories from annual reporting to document and disseminate best practices in support of capacity building work of tribal community and local health departments. Further, I established job aids and standard operating procedures while forming teams to identify knowledge management projects that enhance process improvement.While offering grant recipients with programmatic technical assistance regarding COVID-19 emergency response activities, I was able to utilize Grant Solutions Grants Management Module (GMM) and other respective information systems such as SharePoint and System trackers to monitor 28 grant projects within my assigned portfolio.KEY CONTRIBUTIONS:• Spearheaded development of OT20-2004 COVID-19 response supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), in partnership with branch leadership, and presented in webinars via Zoom.• Regulated multimillion dollars' worth of federal funding/budgets and grants including initiation, administration, award, monitoring and coordination.• Structured toolkits using SharePoint and Wiki to document processes for internal staff use.• Facilitated language and key messages for coronavirus and shared drafted language and messaging at global health meetings with partner agencies like World Health Organization. Show less

Quality Improvement Manager

• Jan 2019 - Oct 2021

In my position as Quality Improvement Manager, I headed the Performance Improvement Project work, including technical assistance, with four Care Management Organizations (CMOs) in Georgia. I essentially governed, planned, and reviewed the work of assigned staff including quality improvement specialist, while working with Human Resources office to follow protocol for training and evaluation. I disseminated information to Medicaid Assistance Program's internal and external stakeholders, while establishing and retaining effective working relationships with CMOs, sister agencies, state legislators, and other DCH divisions. Additionally, I applied tableau to visualize data in presentation of key findings to Department of Community Health's leadership team. Offered technical assistance to Centering Pregnancy Incentive pilot site coordinators in following model for group prenatal care as outlined by Centering Healthcare Institute. KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: • Fostered first meeting to start Centering Pregnancy Incentive Pilot Project with four pilot sites and partners, subsequently formulating work plans for pilot sites. • Employed Georgia Health Policy Center's Sustainability Framework in cooperation with four Centering Pregnancy Incentive pilot sites to plan for sustainability: recognized foci for sustainability for each program and devised action plans with outlines of target goals. • Prepared questions and process protocol for key informant interviews as part of Institutional Review Board application with Georgia State University (GSU). • Conveyed systematic approach for supplying technical assistance to CMOs during 12-month rapid cycle process. • Initiated systematic review process for conducting reviews and audits for home- and community-based services waiver programs, and drafted reports for waiver programs to support reporting outcomes to Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Show less

Policy, Planning & Program Researcher II

• Feb 2015 - Dec 2018

I presided over the youth tobacco prevention work budget of $100K+, serving as the statewide expert for health policy development, while composing prevention education campaigns. My role involved administering technical support for all 18 state public health districts related to preventing youth and young adult tobacco initiation. I also ensured childcare centers complied with asthma-friendly air quality best practices, by essential collaboration with Health District, Universities, Health Systems, and elected officials. KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: • Served as State Health Improvement Plan Committee co-chair and member of Quality Improvement Council. • Established and sustained contracts with Georgia Department of Public Health for Georgia Tobacco Use Prevention Program and Georgia Asthma Control Program. • Devised educational campaigns, collaborating with youth and community members to present before school boards, city council members, and county commissioners to advocate for policy, systems, and environmental change. • Formed scoring documents for evaluating work plans and proposals for funding public health districts. • Secured CDC 100% tobacco free policies statewide at 129/181 school districts, 15/115 charter schools, 46/128 universities, and 29/203 parks and recreation systems by strategically combining forces with executive partners and other decision-making officials. • Established state asthma-friendly standards by developing model policy language for Asthma Friendly Childcare Center, and successfully implementing asthma-friendly school policies at 7 school districts. • Initiated "Creating an Asthma Friendly School Summit", conjoining partners across varying sectors from Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, American Lung Association, and local coalition groups. • Implemented internal policy improvements for Health Department policies and Board of Health Resolutions using a Health Lens Analysis Tool. Show less

Student

• 2014 - Aug 2015

Student

• 2014 - 2015

Public Health Policy Advisor and Analyst

• Dec 2010 - Feb 2015

As a Public Health Policy Advisor and Analyst, I examined the Community Transformation Grant policy, employing CDC tools for policy scanning while mapping local-level assets and dispensing policy agenda to local legislators. I composed IRB application prior to evaluation and research studies. Partnering with the Public Health Accreditation Board, I assembled and developed documents for agency accreditation. I established qualitative and quantitative tools for data collection and analysis, streamlining the process and yielding more accurate results. Endorsed Cobb and Douglas Public Health district throughout accreditation process by using Community Health Assessment and Group Evaluation (CHANGE) tool to help prioritize community needs. KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: • Co-authored successful Center for Disease Control Community Transformation Grant for $500K and Health Care Georgia Obesity Prevention Grant for $150K. • Selected to serve as Internship Coordinator and supervisor at Walden University and Emory University for Master of Public Health students, due to extensive industry knowledge and background. • Encouraged adoption of Health in All Policies among other partner organizations, agencies, and jurisdictions. • Founded "Health in All" policy "adoption blueprint" with example resolutions, administrative actions, and implementation guidance, incorporating it into partner organizations, agencies, jurisdictions, and Health Departments. • Spearheaded initial Community Transformation Grant projects, using strategic frameworks to evaluate results. • Created and enacted policy language for key programs, including Tobacco-Free Parks, Worksite Wellness, Nutrition and Physical Activity, School Wellness, and Asthma-Friendly Schools. • Mobilized local community members to advocate for City of Kennesaw to adopt 100% tobacco-free parks policy. Show less

Lead Research Interviewer Lead Research Interviewer

• Aug 2006 - Sep 2008

 Provided public awareness and recruited; potential participants at different clinical site in Fulton County for the Afiya project, which is Swahili for strength and good heath, the project is a behavioral study that aims to reduce risky sexual behaviors of African American Teen girls between the ages of 14-20.  Encouraged participants through phone calls and post cards to stay active in the research study. Recruited 200 participants, and retained 175 in a 3 year study.  Guided participants in the process of informed consent.  Facilitated retention workshop with all participants within two years after baseline encounter.  Collected and recorded data using SPSS program for further research lead by Doctors Ralph J. DiClemente and Gina Wingood.  The study results show the intervention groups of participants were more likely to choose safe sex practices. Show less