Martha J. Johnson
Houston,TX
Summary
Accomplished Public Health Analyst with over ten years of experience working in public health settings at the federal, state, city, and non-profit levels. Proven track record at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, leveraging data analytics and cross-cultural communication expertise to drive significant improvements in national health initiatives. Excelled in leadership roles, enhancing health equity and stakeholder engagement, evidenced by spearheading the National Wastewater Surveillance System. Responsible for evaluating and improving several processes essential to the functioning of NWSS.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Public Health Analyst
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC
09.2022 - Current
- State, Territorial, Local, and Tribal Support Team member for the National Wastewater Surveillance System in the Rapid Response Research and Surveillance Branch (previously a part of the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch). Extensive experience in data collection, data management, data analysis, interpretation of surveillance information, partnering, performance improvement, and process improvement.
- Customer Service: Provided quality customer service and high performance by implementing. Anticipated customer needs and developed services and regular communications to meet them. Awarded the NCEZID Excellence in Partnering Award – Domestic in 2024 for building and maintaining strong partnerships.
- Oral Communications: Experienced presenter with extensive experience communicating research to agency staff, partners, professional audiences, and the public. Presented work at national and state-level conferences. Routinely asked to present at state-led meetings to answer complex programmatic questions. Regularly organized and presented at community of practice meetings for over 200 participants.
- Written communications: Regularly publish written reports for professional audiences and agency staff. Extensive experience technical reports and documents (e.g., summaries of analyses), fact sheets (e.g., summaries of research findings in plain language), ELC funding guidance, performance measures, and informative communications to external partners.
- Acquisition Management: Analyzed and monitored budget requests, recommendations, and public health grant programs (e.g., Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Program) to ensure consistency, accuracy, and appropriateness of funding for wastewater surveillance activities. Served as a project officer and managed grants, interagency agreements (HHS), cooperative agreements (65 state, territorial, local, and tribal health departments, WEF), and contracts (BioBot, Verily). Distributed, managed, monitored, and evaluated the use of over $500,000,000 in funding provided to NWSS programs.
- Needs Assessment: Gathered and analyzed information to identify gaps and determine needs related to public health problems. Coordinated with organized entities at the municipal (wastewater utilities), community, state, and national levels to understand needs using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Conducted needs assessments through surveys, focus groups, and interviews to assess the needs of utility, state, and local wastewater surveillance programs. Identified available assets and resources required for program implementation and provided recommendations and actions to said programs based on need. Connected programs in need with Centers of Excellence(CoE) or other successful programs to meet their needs.
- Program Evaluation: Applied different evaluation approaches and methodologies to assess program and system effectiveness for the National Wastewater Surveillance System and state wastewater surveillance programs. Applied systematic evaluation methods to evaluate program processes, outputs, and outcomes. Oversaw the delivery of routine and timely feedback to programs about the quality of their data submitted to NWSS. Enhanced practices and procedures based on evaluation data.
- Collaboration/Partnering: Built productive and professional relationships with coworkers on the team and across the division and agency. Regularly checked in with leadership about projects, data analysis, and professional development needs and built productive working relationships with each team member. Organized activities among Centers of Excellence(CoE) to ensure synergistic efforts and reduce duplication of efforts. Collaborated with CoEs to provide support, technical assistance, evaluation, consultation, and best practices to other partners of wastewater surveillance.
- Data and Information Synthesis: Used relevant primary and secondary research findings to make action-oriented recommendations. Analyzed wastewater data to define public health problems and identify solutions or recommendations to address the issue. Used wastewater surveillance data to identify specific testing needs in targeted areas. Prepared presentations and guidance using the appropriate format. Disseminated announcements, presentations, and guidance to relevant partners. Used research and wastewater surveillance data to make action-oriented recommendations to public health officials.
- Public Health: Applied knowledge about health, environmental, social, and behavioral science theories, methods, and techniques to improve population-based health. Lead and advised others in designing, implementing, and monitoring behavioral and social interventions. Advised partners at the state and local level on using wastewater surveillance data to implement vaccination programs, school monitoring, and further wastewater testing to create meaningful public health outcomes.
- Problem Solving: Routinely asked to answer complex research questions with ambiguous or sparse data. When advising on a project or outbreak, frequently asked meaningful and relevant questions to understand a problem and its potential causes, then identified and evaluated many possible solutions to resolve complex issues. Analyzed and solved routine organizational problems effectively and promptly not to slow down colleagues’ progress. Identified issues/needs of NWSS and used a logical, systematic approach to break down and solve the issue.
Regional Program Manager
Texas Department of Health and Human Services
06.2020 - 08.2022
- Managed the Tuberculosis Elimination program for the State Health Department, serving a population of over 5 million people across 16 counties. Executed program objectives and goals through epidemiological investigations, screening clinics, and providing treatment to control and prevent the spread of disease within the community.
- Developed and implemented a budget of over $1 million in federal and state grant funding to ensure funds are spent efficiently per grant terms and agreements. Analyzed and evaluated the program's cost-benefit and economic impact.
- Supervised a team of up to 12 administrative, fiscal, and clinical personnel. Managed staff professional development and training, including individual mentorship and annual performance reviews, to improve staff satisfaction and retention.
- Prepared reports on the impact of the program and annual performance measures based on the programmatic history and data.
- Reviewed training evaluation results provided by the trainees to ensure the program's effectiveness and make necessary modifications. Coded and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data using data software tools.
- Provided programmatic updates to senior leadership, external stakeholders, and community advisory boards to communicate project goals, targeted benchmarks, and high-level outcomes.
Senior Public Health Investigator
City of Houston Department of Health & Human Services
11.2016 - 06.2020
- Implemented successful field investigation mapping, demographic data analysis, and visual case assessments to aid diagnosis.
- Identified case studies of HIV programs throughout the country that exemplify planning in the context of population health improvement. Sought out new partnerships and collaborated with organizations to achieve system-wide changes.
- Facilitated motivational interviewing, compassionate counseling, and case management for patients with sexually transmitted diseases. Conducted interviews on 95% of contacted individuals, surpassing the departmental benchmark of 65%.
- Accurately input patient data into an electronic medical record system. Flagged client accounts needing additional services and routed this information to appropriate teams to prevent delays.
Grant and Outreach Coordinator
Brazoria County Alliance For Children
08.2015 - 11.2016
- Conducted market research to identify individuals and organizations for future funding opportunities.
- Increased outreach efforts by 30% and expanded the audience to include schools, daycares, and churches, thereby identifying and forging meaningful relationships.
- Created and delivered presentations with real-time data visualizations. Presented to groups as large as 1,000 and successfully garnered donations from more than 50% of those in attendance.
- Effectively managed fundraising projects, summarized historical and current funding statistics, and analyzed future growth potential. Supported fundraising and grant revenue growth by 25%, exceeding the annual fundraising goal by 12% in less than a year.
- Redesigned the grant management system by developing a CRM tool to organize grant proposals and maintain donor relations.
- Reviewed and approved all promotional and media materials before publication and disbursement, both in print and digital.
Youth Development Specialist
Metro Council For Teen Potential "MCTP"
10.2014 - 08.2015
- Implemented and facilitated the learning and development (training, communication, coaching) for up to 25 employees. Led train-the-trainer sessions for peers to ensure successful program and content delivery. Evaluated, analyzed, and reported on training outcomes.
- Developed and implemented innovative health education strategies to enhance efforts to educate affected populations, their families effectively, and health care providers on public health surveillance, prevention, and intervention.
- Utilized state-of-the-art multimedia techniques and standard instructional design to develop all training materials.
- Identified educational priorities and needs among diverse audiences interested in public health education.
- Provided expertise, leadership, consultation, and technical assistance to plan, implement, and evaluate appropriate health education materials.
- Provided resources and recommendations to promote youth sexual wellness further. As a result, STD testing increased by 15% for youth citywide.
- Developed communication strategies for youth programs and briefing materials for a diverse audience, including policymakers and the general public.
Education
Master of Public Health -
Lamar University
Beaumont, TX05-2019
Bachelor of Arts - Mass Communication
Wesleyan College
Macon, GASkills
- Cross-cultural communication
- Public Health Knowledge
- Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
- Project Management
- Community & Stakeholder Engagement
- Data Analytics & Assessment
- Database Design & Maintenance
- Training & Development
- Public Speaking
- Strategic Planning
- Policy Analysis & Support
- Problem Solving
- Data Synthesis
- Leadership & Systems Thinking
Timeline
Public Health Analyst
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC
09.2022 - Current
Regional Program Manager
Texas Department of Health and Human Services
06.2020 - 08.2022
Senior Public Health Investigator
City of Houston Department of Health & Human Services
11.2016 - 06.2020
Grant and Outreach Coordinator
Brazoria County Alliance For Children
08.2015 - 11.2016
Youth Development Specialist
Metro Council For Teen Potential "MCTP"
10.2014 - 08.2015
Master of Public Health -
Lamar University
Bachelor of Arts - Mass Communication
Wesleyan College
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