Doneisha Bohannon
Senior Strategist – Initiatives
Missouri Foundation for Health
St. Louis
Metro High School
Colgate University, BA, Geography
minor in Sociology/Anthropology
Washington University in St. Louis, MPH
Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health
National Association of Health Services Executives
In short, what do you do?
As a senior strategist at Missouri Foundation for Health, I work with communities across the region as a connector, collaborator, and thought partner to develop projects that will help transform the health and well-being of individuals and communities most in need. I provide strategic planning and direction for a grant portfolio that invests significant resources into organizations to create innovative solutions that help Missourians thrive. I work with local, statewide, and national partners to identify unique opportunities that will challenge, improve, or disrupt systems that allow inequities to exist. I also convene key partners on a variety of topics to ensure solutions are strategic and impactful.
When and why did you become such a strong advocate of health and early childhood education?
In undergrad, I completed several projects to better understand the health disparities in my hometown. After seeing the massive racial disparities in a variety of health areas, I was inspired to dedicate my career to working to change that. Knowing how much place impacts health, I envision a community where your ZIP code does not dictate your health outcomes and have been working toward this each day.
Recently, I personally witnessed the disparities in access to quality and affordable early childhood education. Researchers have long cited the first five years as the most critical period for learning and growth. Given the importance of the early years of a child’s life for later health and development, it is important that we focus on this critical time of brain growth and development. These early experiences provide the foundation for educational achievement, health, productivity, and strong communities. High quality early childhood centers can help create the building blocks for kids to reach a healthy and productive future.
What have you learned from being a member of organizations such as the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE)?
Giving back to my community is extremely important to me and I have learned that my participation with multiple organizations ensures that I am able to give back in a variety of ways. NAHSE is important to me because it allows a space for black health care leaders to come together to learn from and support one another. It also helps promote black health care issues while advocating for quality health care services for communities most in need. I learn more about the challenges and opportunities within health care which helps me as I engage key stakeholders across the region.
