Noreen P. Johnson Smith, VP of development and advancement, Family Health Center, Worcester
Noreen P. Johnson Smith recently became the vice president of development and advancement at Family Health Center of Worcester. WBJ asked her some questions and found her talents range from teaching MBA students to speaking the Central African language of Sango.
Vital Stats:
• Age: 44
• Residence: An old farm house in Charlton, MA
• Family: Married my high school sweetheart in 2005 - Together we have four children, ages 17, 15, 15, and 12.
• Education: Master of Public Health from the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health (1998); Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, Chemistry & Physics, from the University of Vermont (1986)
• Previous job: Teaching at Assumption College's Business Studies Department and directing an initiative to build management capacity in youth-serving nonprofits.
• Start date at new job: September 2, 2008
Q. How are you settling in at your new office?
A. I have been on the go since my arrival in September, so I am not sure "settling in" quite describes the experience! Family Health Center of Worcester is a very busy health care facility, serving more than 29,000 patients and nutrition clients at more than 143,000 patient visits in 22 languages. I have been getting to know the administrative and clinical staff and learning about the services they provide.
Q. What's the biggest surprise you've had in starting the job?
A. Honestly, one of the biggest surprises for me has been the incredible diversity of the population of the City of Worcester. If you just sat in our lobby for one afternoon, you would meet people from all over the world. It has heightened my sensitivity to immigration issues, the sacrifices people have made to come to this country, and the challenges they face to survive and thrive here. On a lighter note, it has allowed me to use my French language skills, and I hope someday to meet a few Central Africans so I can practice my Sango (a language I learned in the Central African Republic when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1980's).
Q. What challenges do you see in your new position?
A. As the economic climate worsens, I anticipate state and federal funding may decline across the board and impact community health services. As people lose their jobs and their employment-based health insurance, and more individuals and families turn to Family Health Center for help with health benefits and health care, we will be challenged to find new sources of funding to meet our mission and provide services to all regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
Q. How different is this job from your previous position?
A. A couple of years ago, I made a significant career change to teach business and nonprofit marketing at Assumption College, and I am still an instructor in the MBA program. In this new position at Family Health Center, I have returned to my former career in nonprofit management and public health. It is a bit like putting on an old pair of shoes. I'm very comfortable in Central Massachusetts working with old friends and colleagues in both the public and nonprofit sectors.
Q. How close is this to what you imagined in high school you'd end up doing?
A. I had never heard of "public health" in high school. I thought I would become a doctor and practice emergency medicine. But my experience in Central Africa is what shifted my focus to public health, or population-based health and prevention. The Central African Republic is a country with no modern health care infrastructure, and enormous suffering among the people who live there. You come to realize how different our lives would be, the quality of our lives and our overall health, if we did not have access to health education, prevention, primary care and a system that supports public health. My 9-year old neighbor in C.A.R. was stricken with polio and lived her life on the ground, moving herself about with her hands, without a wheel chair, and without any education. Another neighbor was dying of AIDS, left on a mat outside, unable to move and no one to care for her. The suffering was indescribable. Public health became my vocation.
Q. Where's the best place to get lunch near your new location?
A. I have no idea! I haven't gotten out for lunch yet.
Q. What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now?
A. Ten years from now I hope to be more involved at an international level in health promotion and prevention, and enjoying time with my family.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments