Mentoring women, building Maternal Health strategies, music, sports, and elephants are all a passion for Jennifer C., Senior Quality Improvement Specialist. It is truly a wonder how she still has time to get to the beach – a spot she loves! Keep reading to learn a little more about where she volunteers, where she sang the National Anthem, and more!
How long have you worked at Neighborhood? What is your position, and what do you enjoy most about your position?
I have been at Neighborhood for over four years, and currently serve as a Senior Quality Improvement Specialist primarily working with the Accountable Entity (AE) program. I enjoy working with our provider partners to improve the quality-of-care Neighborhood members are receiving across the state. In the past four years, I have continued to expand my role outside of AE Quality work. I represent Neighborhood on several OHIC workgroups, lead the immunizations quality improvement workgroup, and complete the annual race ethnicity quality disparities analysis – something I am very proud of.
What did you do before joining Neighborhood?
I went to college in North Carolina (Elon University) and started my career in municipal parks and recreation. I moved north and pursued a career in sports management at a tennis club in the Greater Boston area and then eventually started in Healthcare at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, working in the outpatient cardiology clinic and for the Director of the Cardiac Transplant program in Cardiac Surgery. Before joining Neighborhood, I was a senior practice quality associate for New England Quality Care Alliance where I worked with primary care practices to improve quality rates on commercial contracts as well as Medicaid and Medicare Accountable Care Organizations.
Are there any projects or committees you were involved in at Neighborhood that stand out to you?
I am heavily involved with Neighborhood’s maternal health strategy planning and health equity work. I served as a co-lead for the maternal health equity subcommittee since 2022. I feel very passionate about women’s health and health equity and enjoy finding and recommending strategies to support Neighborhood members, so they get access to the best quality care.
Where did you grow up?
My father was in the Air Force, so I moved around a bit. I was born in Wichita, Kansas and from there we moved to Amherst, Massachusetts before being stationed in Sicily, Italy for two years. We wound up living in East Windsor, Connecticut.
What activities/classes did you enjoy in school?
I honestly enjoyed everything in school; you could find me on stage acting and singing, in the gym playing basketball, on the field playing soccer and softball, and in the marching band spinning the flag in the color guard. I have bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Sport Management, but I started my undergrad as a Music Theatre Major, so yeah, a bit of everything.
How do you enjoy spending time outside of work?
I volunteer as the Administrative Lead with the Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corps. I started volunteering at COVID testing sites and then COVID vaccine clinics and Mpox vaccine clinics. The Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corps is the state emergency medical response team that actively recruits, trains, and activates medical and public health professionals and other volunteers to respond to community health needs during disasters and other public health emergencies. It also runs a field hospital for onsite medical support at events throughout the year in Rhode Island including the Newport Marathon, Blessing of the Fleet, Bristol’s 4th of July Parade, and my favorites, the Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival. I am also the Chapter Advisor for the local chapter of my sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha, at Bryant University. I offer support throughout the year, and really enjoy working with, and mentoring, the emerging women leaders. Other than that, I am an auntie to three nephews and one niece who all live in Connecticut; I have two cats, I love the beach, I love to travel (recently back from a trip to Thailand), and I am an avid reader.
Can you share a “Fun Fact” that others might find surprising/interesting about you?
My fun fact is that when I was in high school, I sang the National Anthem at a NASCAR Modified stock car race on the 4th of July at Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Massachusetts. It was the last season the park and speedway existed before it became “Six Flags New England.”