Jill serves as the Center’s Co-Director and Director of Education, leading our educational program-building and curriculum development. She teaches courses on patient and health advocacy in the Schools of Law and Medicine and oversees CPP’s advocacy services. In addition, Jill serves as Policy Director for LIFT Wisconsin, a community-academic partnership focused on clearing civil legal barriers like medical debt. Jill’s approach is informed by direct experiences advocating, through legislative and organizational change, for patients facing barriers to health care access.
Jill’s path to the Center includes professional and personal experiences in patient and systems advocacy, non-profit management and teaching. After receiving a Master’s degree in Social Work from UW-Madison, Jill worked in child advocacy and community health as a lobbyist, community engagement educator and organizational leader in non-profit and health care organizations.
Growing up, Jill was introduced to advocacy by her mother who demonstrated a powerful example fighting for the rights of people with developmental disabilities. A half century ago Ohio did not provide the opportunities for her son to live a healthy and productive life in his community so Jill’s mother started community-based programs and fought for legislative change.
In her volunteer time Jill serves on the policy committee of the Wisconsin Breast Cancer Coalition and on the board of the Meadowood Health Partnership. When she is not working in health advocacy Jill enjoys weaving, gardening, and baking fancy cakes. She lives in Madison with her partner, two dogs and three chickens and loves facetiming with her two grown children.