Please Welcome Our New Program Officer!

We are thrilled to announce that Priyanka D. Reddy, MD, MPH is joining the VNA team as our new Program Officer.

Priyanka will be joining VNA in early May. She brings with her a wealth of experience gained from a career focused on strengthening community-centered systems of care so that underserved populations can access the resources that allow them to live healthier lives.

Most recently, Priyanka served as Health Equity Organizer & Supervisor for the Healthy Southwest System of Care at the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP). In this position, she led program activities connected to the 13 Southwest Chicago regional neighborhoods, and stewarded partnerships spanning healthcare institutions, community-based organizations, schools, faith groups, and policy advocates—all designed to improve quality of life for families on Chicago’s Southwest side.

Prior to her time at SWOP, her work, practicum and volunteer placements included experience working in or with: public health and housing departments; suicide and mental health crisis de-escalation; citizenship navigation assistance for immigrants; community organizing and leadership training; and mobile healthcare services for refugees. In addition, she is a monthly volunteer providing clinical care at a Chicago-based free clinic. “Throughout my career I have consistently been drawn to opportunities to support marginalized and underserved communities,” Priyanka shared. “I am grateful that my educational background allowed me to bolster my understanding of healthcare systems, policy, and infrastructure, informing my work and allowing me the opportunity to help translate community priorities into strategies for investment. I’m excited to bring my skills and experiences to VNA, and contribute, in any way I can, to the Foundation’s good work on behalf of people and communities I care about.”

Priyanka holds a Doctorate of Medicine & Surgery from St. George’s University of London, and a Master of Public Heath degree from Purdue University. She serves as Community Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the Alliance for Research with Chicagoland Communities (ARCC) at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, founded SWOP’s Walk with a Doctor chapter and the Healthy Southwest Coalition for Food Security (HSCFS), and contributes as a member of both the Chicago Equitable Vaccine Advisory Council (EVAC) and the Peace and Wellness Coalition.

Executive Director Rob DiLeonardi shares, “Priyanka’s experience—both as a frontlines care provider and as a supervisor of a community-based health equity program—as well as her expertise, insight, and interpersonal skills, will contribute much to VNA Foundation’s work. I am excited to have her join the team, and all of us look forward to learning from and with Priyanka in the years to come.”