Alumni Spotlight: Janelle M. Sauz (HPAM 2020)

Janelle M. Sauz (HPAM 2020), population health management quality strategy lead, national Medicaid & state programs, Kaiser Permanente

Can you share your journey into Kaiser Permanente? What initially drew you to this field, and how did your time at NYU Wagner shape your path?

My journey at Kaiser Permanente started November 2018 when I was a first-year graduate student at Wagner. The Office of Career Services (OCS) had posted the senior consulting associate intern position on its career directory, which I decided to apply to for the summer of 2019. I had a memorable experience at The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) Consulting Services for 10 weeks, working on three strategic projects related to surgical program evaluation, advancing equity in vaccines, and improving joy in medicine. My background in public health and healthcare management drew me to the field of management consulting. Yet, my experience as an AmeriCorps member at a federally-qualified health center (FQHC), serving the Medicaid population, led me to my passions for community health, quality improvement, population health, and health equity.

A few years later, including two years as the director of quality improvement at an FQHC look-alike, I was eager to apply my skills to drive large-scale improvement for California’s Medi-Cal population. By chance, I saw the Population Health Management Quality Strategy Lead job posting at Kaiser Permanente, and applied immediately. This position was a part of the National Medicaid Quality and Health Equity team within Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (KFHP) and aligned well with my belief in cross-sector collaboration to advance equity for historically excluded populations.

In your role, you lead the data strategy team for Population Needs Assessment (PNA). What does your day-to-day look like? What are you most excited to work on?

My role supports cross-functional teams with population health management by leading the data strategy for sharing data with external and internal stakeholders. Hence, my portfolio includes: collaborating with local health jurisdictions (LHJs) and other managed care plans (MCPs) to share data for the Population Needs Assessment (PNA); supporting the development of data and reporting to help Medi-Cal programs with monitoring and evaluation; partnering with regional quality teams to monitor and track performance for California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Bold Goals: 50x2025; and leading the implementation of DHCS Medi-Cal Connect, a data solution that drives population health management and supports whole-person care by integrating data from disparate sources.

My day-to-day varies. Every Monday, I list out the top five priorities for the week and reflect on highlights and opportunities by Friday. Activities consist of meeting with internal stakeholders to align on vision, goals, and strategy related to data for population health management; meeting with external stakeholders to identify data needs for improving population health; conducting data analyses for quality measures and performance improvement; and developing and presenting findings to key stakeholders and leadership. In my role, I am most excited about leveraging data to engage stakeholders, and ultimately, drive improvement in health outcomes.

What's one thing you wish you had known as a Wagner student that would have helped in your career?

I personally do not think there is anything new that I wish I had known as a Wagner student. I was intentional and methodical when applying to graduate school and throughout. Before applying, I obtained over five years of professional experience, which led me to my career in healthcare quality. I pursued positions that helped me develop technical skills such as project and program management, data analysis and reporting, and quality improvement. Upon arriving at Wagner, I had to be strategic with my limited time. When choosing electives, I honed in on soft skills related to leadership and managing teams. I also broadened my understanding of history and critical race theory. I chose work-study, internships, fellowships and leadership positions that expanded my network and aligned with my interests and career. If I had to share lessons learned with current Wagner students, it would be: 1) make the best use of your time and resources (at Wagner, NYU, and New York City), and 2) do not forget to have fun!

Looking ahead, what broader impact do you hope to achieve through your role at Kaiser Permanente?

Through my role at Kaiser Permanente (KP), I plan to continue driving large-scale improvements in health outcomes for the Medicaid population. While my current role focuses on California and KP’s 1+ million Medi-Cal members, I hope to expand my scope to other regions where KP operates. I would love to continue pursuing roles where public health, healthcare quality, and community engagement intersect. With my vision for every population to have an equitable opportunity to live a healthy life regardless of social identity, I am committed to advancing this throughout my career.