Next in our series is Nicole Stoltzfus, Healthcare Analyst, who provides healthcare strategy and planning for Jensen Partners. Nicole holds a Master of Public Health degree with a specialization in Global Health Leadership from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from Temple University.

Nicole, would you share with us the journey that led you to working at Jensen Partners as a healthcare analyst?

My background is in public health: I received my Master’s in Public Health degree from USC, with a focus on Global Health Leadership. I previously worked as program manager at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, where I absolutely loved my clients and colleagues, but was seeking to work on a more global scale. That’s when I found Jensen Partners. This work has expanded my reach into hospital and system-wide operational planning, service line strategy, and utilization of services. My strong focus on socioeconomic factors and determinants of health provide a unique perspective to our work at Jensen Partners.

Fascinating. How did your interest in public health emerge?

I’ve always wanted to focus my career on working with nonprofit services and underserved communities. A global health perspective really allows you to dive into that. One of the many aspects of what I love about Jensen Partners is that even though we’re not exclusively focused on nonprofits, we do work with many leading nonprofit hospitals. We have worked with safety net hospitals, for instance, and community-focused projects have been very exciting for me. I’ve known that underserved communities need more, and they need more from us at the top of the line.

How do you bring public health perspectives into your current projects?

The safety-net hospitals we’ve partnered with are very thorough about their communities’ needs. We work with our clients to expand on these assessments and strategize how to best fill gaps in the community. We look at market analyses, demographic factors, and many other facilities-related elements. We apply these perspectives to our clients’ needs and strategic growth goals.

These conversations can be challenging, because at the end of the day, health systems need to be able to afford to provide these services. Working with the hospital administration side has been very educational for me. Coming from the nonprofit world, prioritizing services and finding solutions with limited resources is something you become very familiar with.

What is one area of focus hospitals should pay particular attention to for a healthier future?

I see great value in patient education. My previous work has focused on providing patients with the information they need to not only manage their disease, but create a greater quality of life for themselves. Empowering patients to take control of their health is something I’m very passionate about.

Your expertise includes service line strategy. Would you share a bit about it and how you implement that in your work?

Our service line strategy tools help a hospital or health system build upon their strategic goals and priorities. We evaluate how various spaces are utilized, ranging from inpatient beds, interventional and ancillary services, outpatient clinics, and more. We work with leadership to assess both the current needs as well as project needs over the next five to ten years.

Great! Lastly, how has working with the leadership team at Jensen Partners been for you?

I’ve been amazed by the fast paced work we’re doing, and I see each leader as bringing something different to the table, each of which has taught me so much. I’ve learned how to play to my strengths and become more strategic in my everyday work.

As a small firm, I work closely with our principles. It’s an environment with access to several mentors who have an incredible amount of experience and in-depth knowledge in the health field. The leadership choices of Frances, Damir and Sarah, and all the principals, are very hands-on in every single project, so you’re getting that first hand knowledge in each project you work on.

Thanks a lot, Nicole! We look forward to hearing about your continued success and contributions to public health and beyond.