April 20, 2023
April Reilly joined HCIF in 2022, celebrating her 1-year anniversary with HCIF this month. April is a Director within the Clinical Improvement Team, primarily supporting the Pennsylvania – New Jersey Surgical Opioid Stewardship (PENNJ-SOS) and Health Equity Data Strategy (HEDS) Collaborative. A social worker by background, April has experience working in clinical and administrative settings. April worked for almost 14 years at the American Cancer Society and established herself as a leader in health care. Prior to joining HCIF, April worked at the Temple Center for Population Health where she consulted on projects related to Stroke and Hypertension in the North Philadelphia community. Get to know April better in this month’s staff profile.
How did you learn about HCIF and what prompted you to start working there?
Prior to joining HCIF, I was familiar with the food insecurity work that HCIF was involved in. As I learned more about the organization I was impressed by its collaborative approach to patient safety and community engagement, along with a strong focus on health equity.
What has been your most rewarding professional experience thus far? What is your proudest accomplishment during your time at HCIF?
It’s not one particular experience, but instead a culmination of experiences that move our projects forward. One thing I am really looking forward to is representing HCIF at the AHA Accelerating Health Equity Conference this May to speak about our Health Equity Data Strategy Collaborative. While I am eager to share our project learnings, I am even more excited to learn from other attendees and speakers about their work in the health equity space!
What excites you most about your position at HCIF?
I find it exciting that every day is an opportunity to learn something new about my colleagues, our external partners, projects, and the healthcare landscape. Working as part of a small team, I have the opportunity to get involved in many different aspects of our organization. In addition, I am so fortunate to collaborate with former colleagues from past roles I have served in.
What motivates you both personally and professionally?
Many years ago my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer, and navigating the healthcare system was overwhelming- and at times it felt impossible. It was then that I decided to pursue my MSW and focus on oncology, patient access, and health disparities. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to practice clinically and serve in administrative roles. Regardless of the role, it’s the heartfelt stories shared by patients and caregivers that resonate with me and motivates me to continue this work!
What are your interests outside of work?
Outside of work, you can usually find me behind the wheel driving my two children around to sports and other activities!