NHPHA Hires Interim Executive Director

From NHPHA: New Hampshire Public Health Association (NHPHA) concludes its search for an Interim Executive Director with the selection of Joan Ascheim, who is no stranger to the field of public health in the granite state.

Over several decades, Ascheim served in a variety of public health leadership positions with the NH Department of Health & Human Services. Several years ago, she relocated to Connecticut, where she served as the Performance Improvement Manager for that state’s Department of Public Health where she was instrumental in assisting the agency to achieve national accreditation status. She has expertise in maternal and child health, performance improvement and strategic and public health planning

In her new role, Ascheim is charged with developing NHPHA’s three year growth plan and securing resources to execute the plan. "I am thrilled to return to public health in NH,” she said. NHPHA Board President, Katie Robert shares this excitement, adding, “Our Board of Directors and membership could not be more excited to have Joan leading NHPHA through this exciting transition period. We look forward to Joan ushering in a new era for NHPHA, as we grow in our capacity to promote the health and equity of all NH residents.”

Joan acknowledges there are present threats in the field that bring a sense of urgency, which makes the need for public health and a strong NHPHA more important than ever. “Our current political climate and the potential cuts to key public health programs and Medicaid; escalating instances of addiction; threats to progress in climate change; women's reproductive rights; and adequate education for all children raise those threats to new heights,” Ascheim said. “I welcome the opportunity to work with the NHPHA board, membership and committed public health professionals in our state to promote the value of public health and continue to strengthen its presence in the state.”

Ascheim holds a Master’s Degree in nursing from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor’s Degree from Georgetown University and has practiced in public health for over thirty years. She served in a variety of public health leadership positions, including the Maternal and Child Health Bureau Chief, the Administrator for Family and Community Health Services, Chief for the Bureau of Policy and Performance Management and the Senior Deputy for the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services. She is a 2004 graduate of the Northeast Regional Public Health Leadership Institute, completed a leadership program with Leadership Greater Hartford and is Lean certified.

She has served on a number of national public health committees including: the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and the Robert Wood Johnson, Turning Point Performance Management National Excellence Collaborative.

NHPHA is a statewide professional association that provides a forum for the exchange of public health information and educates members of the NH public and legislature and municipal leaders on matters pertaining to public health. For more information about the organization visit www.nhpha.org.

Image Courtesy of NHPHA