New Leadership for Global Health Information System Strengthening

JSI has long been a leader in advancing country-led health information system (HIS) progression to increase the availability and use of high-quality data for improved health outcomes. Our USAID-funded Country Health Information Systems and Data Use (CHISU) program strengthens host country capacity and leadership to manage and use high-quality HIS to improve evidence-based decision-making.

We are pleased to announce that our HIS expert, Stephanie Watson-Grant, is transitioning from deputy director to program director of CHISU. Dr. Watson-Grant brings a wealth of experience, having served as deputy director for the past four years. With 20+ years of experience working in global public health, Stephanie has supported work across more than 35 countries. She brings a health systems and health diplomacy approach to her HIS and digital transformation initiatives.

It is a profound privilege to serve as CHISU’s program director and lead such an impressive collection of experts. The CHISU program is an established technical leader, responsive to governments’ needs and USAID’s mandate and expansive in its influence on other projects and regional and international organizations and bodies. My leadership will help shape and tell the story of how we 1) set the standard for implementing HIS strengthening interventions, 2) changed the HIS and digital health landscapes in the countries where we worked, and 3) helped transform health systems to better deliver health for all.”

This transition provides an opportunity for CHISU to expand technical expertise across the program’s diverse portfolio. JSI’s digital health expert, Derek Kunaka, will fill the new role of deputy director, technical. Formerly CHISU’s director of finance and operations, Joni Bowling will fill the new role of deputy director, operations. Steve Ollis, CHISU’s previous program director, will transition into the new role of senior digital transformation advisor given the significance of this area to CHISU’s current and future activities.

CHISU works across 23 diverse countries to support locally led digital transformation in multiple health areas. Learn more at chisuprogram.org.