St. Louis Children’s Hospital

Nicole Kozma

Nicole Kozma is an experienced manager with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital and healthcare industry. She is a strong professional with a Master's in Public Health focused in behavioral health and education from Saint Louis University.

In an interview with Healthcare Tech Outlook, Kozma sheds light on the changing landscape of healthcare advocacy and the emerging role of technology in the space.

What are some of your roles and responsibilities at St. Louis Children's Hospital?

I primarily manage multiple outreach programs focused on injury and obesity prevention, youth development, and maternal health home visitation. We have an evaluation team that conducts assessments for community health needs and reports directly to me. In addition, oversee a couple of community hubs and camps for special populations.

What are the challenges and trends prevalent in the healthcare advocacy industry?

One of the biggest challenges is the poor understanding of the community we serve and the institution’s history. To serve our community better, we need to analyze the kinds of experiences our services have delivered to them in the past. In today’s world, communal memories may not be as relevant as they were in the past, but they still add value to the institution’s ethos, which helps to build trust between the community and the institution. But the most important part is that when people knock on our door, we need to live up to the brand that we have established and ensure that our values are reflected in the experience we provide them.

How do you envision the future of the health advocacy space evolving in the near future?

Post-pandemic, there has been an increased recognition of the need for behavioral and mental health awareness. With resources more limited than ever, we need to pull all the forces together and collectively strive to support the community. We also need to get an accurate estimate of the available resources and come up with a strategic plan by joining hands with other institutions working for the same cause. That way, we can advocate for bills or legislation related to mental or behavioral health. It is the youth that has been most affected by severe behavioral and mental health issues in the past few years, and there has been a surge in suicide rates as well. The affected individuals actively reject professional help and completely shut themselves off. In such adverse scenarios, the first step to help the situation is to try to prevent it through proper care.

“Post-pandemic, there has been an increased recognition of the need for behavioral and mental health awareness. With resources more limited than ever, we need to pull all the forces together and collectively strive to support the community.”

In the forthcoming years, there is going to be a lot of discussion around these issues from an advocacy standpoint. Largely, it will educate our legislators on the urgency of the situation and motivate them to support healthcare within the community.

What is the one piece of advice that you would like to give your fellow peers, as well as the upcoming professionals in this field?

People are all we have. We live in a community, and when you are in the healthcare domain, you have a finger on the pulse of the community, but you cannot expect the community to sustain itself without consistent efforts. The priority should always be to earnestly listen to them in an effort to serve them better. You can find these people in focus groups, interviews, town halls, and numerous other places. But above everything, you need to have a strong intent and show up. These are the most basic yet important aspects. With the economic conditions worsening with each passing day, people are struggling to meet their daily needs and support their livelihoods. We need to work together and make people feel heard. The goal is not to bring them a solution but to provide the care and support that they lack. To achieve this, we have to work with the community for the community.