For over two decades, Lisa Asare has dedicated her public service career to advancing maternal and child health programs and services. She is the inaugural president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority (MIHIA), a state-funded agency overseeing the Trenton-based Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center. MIHIA’s core priorities are driving policy change, research, and innovations to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. In this role, Lisa is responsible for leading statewide implementation efforts to reduce maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities while centering community perspectives, particularly people of color most impacted by health inequities.
Prior to this role, Lisa served as Deputy Commissioner of Health Services at the New Jersey Department of Human Services where she oversaw the state’s Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Plan programs, the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the Department’s work on First Lady Tammy Murphy’s Nurture NJ initiative. In a recent conversation with Lisa, she spoke about the vision for MIHIA, as well as her career journey in public service.
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At-A-Glance
- Who: Lisa Asare
- Current Role: President and Chief Executive Officer, Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority
- Public Sector Tenure: 25+ years
- CHCS Connection: New Jersey Medicaid Academy
Q. What’s a success that you experienced recently?
A. MIHIA was created to address maternal and infant health issues, eliminate disparities, and advance equity. The goal is for MIHIA to become an institution of excellence promoting research and clinical innovation that will have local, state, national, and global influence. We have an opportunity to create something new and lay the foundation for generations to come. My appointment as MIHIA’s inaugural President and CEO and as a member of Governor Phil Murphy’s cabinet is a full-circle moment. I embarked on this work nearly 30 years ago, and I’ve always been committed to making maternal health care better for my daughters and all birthing people.
Q. What keeps you motivated, especially on difficult days?
A. As a woman of color, mother, and an immigrant, I do not take lightly the fact that I have the privilege to sit at tables that others who look like me often do not get invited to. It is an honor to apply these perspectives through conversations so that policy decisions center diverse experiences. This keeps me grounded and reminds me of why I continue doing this work and why I am on a mission to sustain positive change.
Q. What do you wish people knew about careers in public service?
A. Careers in public service are diverse and rewarding. I continuously learn how to best serve communities in an ever-changing health care landscape. It is a gift to think creatively and work collaboratively through multisector partnerships that are tackling complex problems within communities most impacted. I work on issues that are near and dear to me as both a mother of color and devoted public servant. It’s humbling and encouraging to know that policies we devise are positively impacting communities where we live, work, and play and are paving the way to a healthier, brighter future with improved birth outcomes.
If I were to give advice to younger women of color based on my journey, I would tell them to come to the table with their authentic selves, because the world needs diverse perspectives.
Q. What are you working on that has you excited for the future?
A. Laying MIHIA’s foundation is exciting and visionary. It has a startup culture, and the team is inspired to innovate and create a systematic way to ensure policies and programs are designed and implemented to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. We’re open to all possibilities, including elevating and supporting minority-owned businesses, prioritizing workforce development, using artificial intelligence, and exploring other non-traditional ways to address maternal and infant health.
Q. How do you rest and get reenergized outside of work?
A. I get outside, take walks, and connect with nature. I pray daily, because tapping into my faith and spiritual life is important to me. And most importantly I spend and enjoy every minute I can with my family. We’re a track and field family and recently enjoyed watching the Olympics. We also love to travel and just got tickets to the World Track and Field Championship in Tokyo for 2025!
