New Faces on the ADHS Ryan White Part B Team!
February 16, 2022 | Macy Richardson | HIV
The ADHS Ryan White Part B program recently welcomed two new team members:
- Joana Mendez-Lopez, HIV Planning Liaison
- Macy Richardson, HIV Project Specialist
Joana is a 2021 CDC Public Health Associate, assigned to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to work on the HIV Integrated Planning team. As part of this team, Joana will assist with developing the 2022-2026 HIV Integrated Plan, a plan to end HIV in Arizona. Joana graduated from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, in May 2021, with a Bachelor’s in social work. Before graduating, she engaged heavily in the city of Greensboro, supporting inner-city people managing difficulties the COVID-19 pandemic caused. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Joana occupied herself by being involved in case management for non-English speaking families, volunteering at COVID-19 vaccination clinics, and working as a manager at a local shelter for men experiencing homelessness. Through seeing all the disparities in her city, Joana felt it necessary to further her career in public health.
Macy is also a 2021 CDC Public Health Associate, assigned to Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). Macy serves as an HIV Project Specialist and focuses on developing and implementing HIV special projects. Macy graduated from Indiana University-Bloomington in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in disease, a Certificate in African Studies, and minors in International Studies and Swahili. Before joining the team at ADHS, she aided in the Indiana Department of Health’s COVID-19 response through contact tracing and vaccine scheduling. She loves baking, traveling, and playing soccer.