It was on a middle school service trip to El Salvador that Kerrissa MacPherson was introduced to the concept of public health.
“It was the first time that I understood the impact that place has on health care, and that when there is not access to health care, that has really dire outcomes,” says MacPherson. “There are so many studies that show that your ZIP code is a better predictor of your health outcomes than your genetic code.”
These days, MacPherson is program manager of community health for Bon Secours Richmond Health System, focusing on the health needs of the Richmond area and spearheading the health system’s Community Health Needs Assessment. Undertaken every three years, the assessment sees Bon Secours engage with community members to better understand and address their needs.
“My work is really focused on exploring how to build relationships within the community using data to drive the solutions that we offer as a health system,” MacPherson explains.
This year’s survey had 2,184 responses, the highest number yet. One takeaway from this year’s survey is growing concerns over health care access in rural areas; Bon Secours aims to help address this through its mobile Care-A-Van Community Health Clinics among other efforts.
A native of Goochland, MacPherson initially attended the University of Richmond pre-med, but decided that she wanted to make a difference by focusing on public health instead of becoming a doctor after attending courses under the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. She now holds dual bachelor’s degrees in biology and leadership studies and a master’s in nonprofit studies, all from UR.
Having participated in additional service trips to Ghana, Mexico and France, MacPherson wrote her master’s thesis that explores some of the practices she sees as problematic with these efforts, particularly related to the need for cultural humility. She is currently a community engagement doctoral candidate at Point Park University in Pittsburgh.
Each spring, MacPherson teaches a UR class about community health that uses Richmond as public health case study. She also serves on alumni panels at UR, mentors students, and is about to serve on a thesis board. MacPherson is mother to two children and enjoys playing tennis for fun.
