I Love My Community: Vena Ford
Vena Ford makes her home in Lathrop, California, and serves as the director of community, marketplace and member engagement for Health Plan of San Joaquin. We asked her ten questions about her role in making our community a healthier place to live!
Q: Tell us about your role at Health Plan of San Joaquin.
A: My role is to be an “oracle” between Health Plan of San Joaquin and our member engagement and communication strategy. My responsibility covers membership monitoring, renewal and forecasting, community relations and member engagement, benefit administration, marketing and communications, grants and sponsorships, and sales. My most amazing team interacts with the community directly, from supporting benefit interpretation to communicating the best of the Health Plan of San Joaquin to those who are our members and those who may need us at community events. I spend a lot of time in the community sharing information and receiving information to share internally. From community events, dinners, walks and runs, engaging in the community health needs assessments, and collaboration with people and organizations who serve our communities, I find myself listening, deciphering and developing plans and actions, when necessary, all to achieve a healthy community.
Q: What do you love about your career?
A: I love that everyone at HPSJ has a deep passion for the people we serve. Working in an administrative capacity on behalf of the most vulnerable members of our community is not easy. There are many rules, regulations, policies, limitations and expectations because our funding comes from the state of California. However, working with our network of providers, county and city partners and community-based organizations helps us develop innovative ways to address challenges and achieve success in our community for all people of San Joaquin County. We often remind each other that these are our families, neighbors and friends we serve.
Q: What got you into this field?
A: I wanted to be a cardiologist. However, I discovered in college that I didn’t want to always be on the treatment end of the challenges we have in our communities, such as housing, food access, poor air quality, transportation issues, health care access, pay and other needs, so in the middle of my studies, after consulting with an amazing counselor, I changed course to become an advocate, an educator and a policy influencer. I changed not because this was easier but because I didn’t want to see another member of my family pass away from health issues that could have been addressed early at the onset or prevented altogether.
Q: What do you love most about San Joaquin County?
A: I love the natural landscapes here. The waterways, agricultural and the very diverse community such as the people, culture, history, entertainment and food, have encouraged me to tell my friends in the Bay to come on out and explore!
Q: What brings you joy?
A: I love to travel. I love going to new places and learning their history, visiting both natural and built sites, smelling different air and engaging in different cultures with their music, food, fashion, language and beliefs. After living and traveling all over the U.S., my travels focus on at least one international trip a year to encourage me to think differently and learn from those different than me.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
A: I work out with a fitness group three or four times a week, but I absolutely love teaching community vinyasa and yin yoga classes three times a week. It brings me joy, gets me moving more and gives me an opportunity to stretch outside the gym, to some amazing R&B, soul, jazz, pop and hip-hop. Yes, I curate the playlists. I also love listening to and playing music. I take piano lessons once a week and am excited to pick up a trombone to start playing again and working with my niece.
Q: What’s on your bucket list?
A: Go visit one of my favorite people in this world in Australia before he turns 61; take a trip to Crater Lake; figure out how to not have allergies so I can get a dog.
Q: What’s something cool you’ve accomplished?
A: Making it to 50, healthy! No, really, that is a huge accomplishment considering my health ups and downs. Finishing the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in October 2009 in San Francisco. I was so excited, I got lost and did a 14.2-mile event versus a 13.1-mile event. At work, my most recent accomplishment that we all achieved was launching a Medicare Dual Special Needs product (D-SNP). At HPSJ, we can now serve people who qualify for both Medicare and Medi-Cal. It is such an amazing opportunity to support our members in care continuity. I was tasked with launching a sales team! They are absolutely amazing, both in sales and as people.
Q: My favorite quote?
A: “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m Possible’!” ~Audrey Hepburn
Q: What’s your favorite dessert?
A: A butter pound cake, no glaze. Or a lemon Nothing Bundt Cake, very light frosting. I am not complicated at all.
