Quan Pham ‘12

When asked about how his role has changed, he stated, “All hands are on deck for COVID-19.” Quan’s recent work contributes to the logistical coordination of

testing and monitoring of patients and the maintenance of the data. He has

created workflows of ‘patients under investigation’ to assess the triggers and endpoints of COVID-19 cases.

Quan loves working in health management and administration as he believes his interests and strengths greatly complement the field. He is passionate about

eliminating all inefficiencies to better serve patients and the community. Quan holds a Master’s of Health Services Administration with specialization in Global Health Management from the University of Michigan. He described his degree to be similar to a Master of Business Administration, but with a lens unique to healthcare.

After obtaining his graduate degree, Quan was selected as an Administrative Fellow for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. He was mentored by chief executives and provided the opportunity to experience a variety of operational and functional departments, from the frontlines to the national offices. “To be effective, you must understand something at all levels,” he said, learning tremendously about the company’s organizational structure at this time. Quan was also able to interact with many of his coworkers, an experience that made it easier for him to mobilize teams across departments with a common objective when he became a Senior Consultant.

At Middlebury, Quan was a Molecular Biology and Biochemistry major. He was initially on the pre-medical track and had never heard of public health until enrolling in an anthropology course taught by Professor Svea Closser, now a professor at Johns Hopkins. He admired that public health directly changed systems, having a wider impact on communities. Fittingly, the global health minor was introduced the following year which Quan pursued instead of the pre-med track. “I feel like global health is my calling,” he said.

He recalled that the experiences he had gave him valuable skills and background knowledge that he still uses today. As a research assistant for Professor Closser, he developed robust critical thinking skills when analyzing the healthcare system in Nigeria. Quan was also a Global Impact Fellow at Unite for Sight in Ghana. Living in Accra for two months exposed him to Ghana’s culture and the role that nonprofits play in global health. Additionally, Quan piloted the concept of the Service Cluster Board under the Center for Community Engagement with the goal of pooling resources for service organizations and initiatives. It is evident that his passion for high-level organization towards a social good was present even during his undergraduate years.

Since graduating from Middlebury, Quan was also a Fulbright recipient in Vietnam, an Implementation Consultant at Epic (an electronic medical records company), an Outbreaks and Health Emergencies Intern at the World Health Organization, and a member of the Board of Directors at the International Children Assistance Network in Silicon Valley.

Reflecting on his extensive global health career, Quan has learned that he is a strategic leader with strengths in collaboration and empathy. He emphasized the importance of approaching solutions from different perspectives and increasing diversity. Wherever he works, he is focused on fostering relationships, improving the workplace culture, and fostering livelier discussions.

His advice is to gain self-awareness, “What is it that excites you? What are your skills? How can this match with what organizations are looking for?” Quan stated that knowing this will make you be your best self and elevate all the work you do.