"Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good." — The Buddha

What You Should Know

After earning my master’s degree in health education and my CHES certification, I stepped into the public health field and found where I was meant to be. I am passionate about educating people about their health. I don’t just serve my population; I elevate their voices and challenge the systems in place that create the complex system.

Some may call me relentlessly optimistic or a dreamer. To make the world a better place, we first have to believe it can be. We listen to understand, we find our strengths, we find our barriers, we then find our partners and we make change happen.

I have 15+ years of experience working with people. I have worked as a health professional within the University of Iowa Hospital, various fitness centers, health retail, and worksite wellness. It was when I found an AmeriCorps position with Linn County Public Health I entered the public health field. After my AmeriCorps service, I jumped into owning my own business as a public health contractor. I love my community and will strive to continue serving as a health advocate and educator.

Public Health

I started in public health by serving an AmeriCorps term through Linn County Public Health. After I served my AmeriCorps term, Linn County was able to keep me on as a public health contractor to continue doing the work I built though my service. My work with the county is varied and allows me to work with many different populations.

Justice Involved - I offer a weekly workshop for folks reentering the community after incarceration to help them navigate health insurance and health care. I strive to serve the individual in front of me while also challenging our local system of care. I have helped pull together community partners to support major gaps that prevent people from getting the healthcare access they need. As part of the Together! Healthy Linn Community Health Improvement Plan, I contributed to local advocacy efforts regarding Medicaid access that helped local policy makers understand the barriers people face with accessing health insurance. If you have worked with me, you know I always have my advocacy lens on for our justice involved populations! Learn more about my work with the department of corrections. Coming soon…

Older Adults - Each month, I offer free, community-based health education classes that teach about nutrition, exercise or other skills to navigate health and wellbeing. I am a firm believer that physical activity is not optional, it’s foundational. I also believe it can be enjoyable, engaging, and fun! Learn more about my work with community health education. Coming soon…

Worksite Wellness - Worksites can offer access to a wide reach into the population. When worksites are connected to each other and to community health resources, employees will have easier access to the supports they need to improve or maintain their health. I am a Worksite Wellness Specialist through the Wellness Alliance and am able to assist worksites in addressing their community health strategies.

Chain Reaction Bike Hub - Biking was never really my thing until I was introduced to the Hub in my time at Linn County Public Health. When I started volunteering, it wasn’t long until I found my people and some of my closest friends. I somehow even became a board member! While offering some of my random but apparently useful skills to the organization, it has challenged me to learn things I never would’ve dreamt to learn! Learn more about Chain Reaction Bike Hub.

Linn County Suicide Prevention Coalition - Suicide prevention and mental health awareness for me (like many others) is personal. So many people have been impacted by suicide or mental illness in some way. I work with a team of passionate community leaders who seek to lead our community in preventing suicide.

Linn County Falls Prevention Coalition - I work with a team of community leaders who are challenging our current system of care for our loved ones and neighbors who are aging or have a disability that put them at risk for falls. This is a new coalition in our area that is aligned with the State of Iowa Falls Prevention Coalition.

In my time working with Linn County, I have met so many amazing people and organizations doing great work for our community. I have made so many friends and professional relationships where we don’t hesitate to just jump in and help each other serve this beautiful and vibrant community.

Becoming a contractor for the county challenged me to start my business, The Heart of Health. Something I have always wanted to do. My contract with Linn County Public Health will be ending soon and I look forward to where my work takes me! I am seeking public health contracts beginning 2027!

Finally, my business name, the Heart of Health. I have to address where this came from because it really speaks to how I operate my business. Every person is unique and has this whole life of amazing experiences and how they developed who they are. We cannot address health without seeing the whole person and understanding how it all interconnects.

I was brainstorming about what to call my business, making a little diagram that when I finished, I took a step back and looked at it. I saw the word health but it seemed that all the words I put around it created the shape of a heart. Those words around health are our heart. We must operate within our hearts to achieve health. It wasn’t until I learned to step inside my own heart - my strengths, passions, loves, talents - that I found my faith and my purpose. Now I strive to help others realize that in themselves!

Health and Fitness Coaching

When I decided to leave the hospital, I stepped into the world of fitness centers and health coaching. I even worked at Jenny Craig to help people with weight loss. Working at Jenny Craig was challenging because I loved the health coaching aspect, which was really integrated into their program, but I hated the culture of restriction. I felt like I was forcing a 1200 calorie diet on women who were needing more; whether it was energy intake, medical intervention, therapy, and/or some down time. Don’t get me wrong, it was great for many of the clients, but in some ways, I felt it neglected the full science of health and wellbeing as it pertains to maintaining a healthy weight.

Not only did I spend time doing weight loss coaching, but I also worked in a gym as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor for older adults. I loved this work, but gym culture was hard. I learned so much of the trainer I want to be and also do not want to be! Let me tell you, I will not be the trainer that says pasta will make you blow up like a balloon.

During COVID, I took a side-step out of gym culture into the banking world to add some stability. It wasn’t long until I started trying to health coach my co-workers, so I decided it was time to get back to school to earn my master’s degree in health education and my CHES certification. All while I worked as a health educator and health coach for a worksite wellness company.

Advancing into the Health Field

As I studied for my bachelor’s degree, I gained experience working within medical billing before soon transferring into the UofI hospital to provide direct care as a certified nurse assistant. Working on an inpatient cardiac unit at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics gave me insight to how chronic disease manifests. I learned how I can provide dignified and compassionate care to someone who is experiencing a potentially traumatic health experience. It also taught me how I would rather prevent chronic illness.

I was able to connect with the cardiac rehab team on our unit and found myself in a position to assist with their team while also completing hospital-wide EKGs. I cannot tell you enough how everyday was so unique and unexpected in this work. Working in a hospital isn’t for the light-hearted. It’s a place to build extensive knowledge of managing chronic illness bedside while also relating to the human being behind the health condition.