Following is a Q&A to get to know Lillian Witting, Coordinator, Research, Education, and Programs, who began working at the National Health Council (NHC) in August 2022.

Putting Patients First (PPF) Blog: Tell us about your career. What led you to the NHC?

One of my first roles was at the Arizona Department of Health Services working on occupational heat exposure. Eventually I moved to Washington, DC, to complete my Master of Public Health at the George Washington University where my research focused on healthy food retail environments and healthy beverage consumption. Through this work, I found that I really enjoyed connecting with people and community-facing roles, which is what drew me to the NHC and to this role.

What are some of the tasks or other work you’ve done that will help you in this new role?

A lot of my previous experience is in qualitative research, specifically pertaining to in-depth interviews with individuals. This background is helpful in the new role as a lot of the research is focused on patient experience and interviewing people living with chronic conditions to understand how the health ecosystem can be more effective.

PFF Blog: What upcoming projects are you excited about working on?

I am excited to help with some of the upcoming events, such as the Science of Patient Engagement Symposium. There is some upcoming interest in incorporating climate change, which I am excited for as an environmental health scientist, and I would love to broaden that to include environmental justice as well. Since this is a relatively new team, this is an incredible opportunity to bring in new ideas.

PFF Blog: Tell us something about you personally. What do you like do outside of work? 

Outside of work I enjoy visiting museums, learning how to inline skate, trying new restaurants, hiking, and I am starting to volunteer with some local food justice organizations such as Bread for the City.