About Us
Our mission is to promote innovative partnerships and cross-sector collaboration to grow, retain, and sustain a robust health care workforce.
HealthForce Team
Maureen Znoj
Maureen Znoj serves as the Senior Director of HealthForce NH at the Foundation for Healthy Communities, where she leads strategic initiatives to address New Hampshire’s healthcare workforce challenges through innovative partnerships and cross-sector collaboration. With over 20 years of experience in workforce development, grant management, and building industry partnerships, she has consistently driven measurable outcomes in workforce advancement.
Before joining the Foundation, she served as Associate Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs at River Valley Community College. Her previous roles include Director of Undergraduate Programs and Assistant Professor at Endicott College, as well as Acting President and Vice President of Operations for Mount Washington College. She continues to contribute to academia as adjunct faculty in MBA and Organizational Leadership programs at Southern New Hampshire University.
Dr. Znoj holds a Doctor of Arts in Leadership from Franklin Pierce University, a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership and a Master of Education in Adult Learning & Leadership from Plymouth State University.
Our History
HealthForce NH began as a concept brought forward from a broad array of health care stakeholders. It was recognized that there were many health care workforce initiatives occurring across the state and within specific health sectors. What was lacking was a comprehensive, all-sector collaborative body to be a central entity for this collective work. With input from provider groups, clinical systems, higher education, policymakers, and others, the idea of HealthForce was built upon a unified message to support the workforce of today and build capacity for tomorrow.
In 2019, the Forward Fund was established at the Endowment for Health, charged with supporting health care providers across the state. As one of the funding priorities, HealthForce NH was created to grow, retain, and sustain New Hampshire’s health care workforce. The “Giving Care” strategic plan was established as the guide to comprehensively address the timely issues of the day and build the pipeline for tomorrow. To steward the implementation of the Giving Care plan, HealthForce NH was set up as an initiative at the Foundation for Healthy Communities, which serves as the backbone entity.
- HealthForce NH’s development was led by the Community Health Institute, which oversaw the development of the “Giving Care” plan and outlines the key priorities of stakeholders.
- Since its inception, HealthForce NH was guided by a group of advisors, made up of leaders from across various health care and education sectors. This group has supported each step of development for HealthForce and exists today as the Advisory Board.
- The Forward Fund was established at the Endowment for Health from the Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association. These funds were set up to become a permanent part of the Endowment for Health’s corpus, with the intent to support the health care workforce serving medically underserved populations across the state of New Hampshire. HealthForce is one of the funding priorities of this initiative.
- The “Giving Care” plan was developed through a deliberative and engaged process lead by the Community Health Institute. Over 50 health care, government, and education leaders from across the field were lead through a facilitated planning process, which resulted in the “Giving Care” plan.
- HealthForce NH was established prior to the COVID-19 pandemic with workforce shortages already impacting care delivery in New Hampshire. These challenges were accelerated due to the pandemic with providers leaving the field or turning to non-care delivery positions. Additionally, enrollment in clinical tracks of education decreased in New Hampshire colleges as the pandemic progressed.
Our Vision
The New Hampshire health care workforce draws from a diverse pool of dedicated, talented professionals. We attract workers with competitive, equitable wages commensurate with experience, training, education, and an environment that supports diversity, quality care, and continuous professional growth. As a result, community outcomes are improved and patients, clients, and the workforce are engaged and healthy.
Granite Staters are cared for by a health care workforce that shares their culture and values. All potential workforce can access resources to pursue careers in health care.
Our health care workforce is valued and recognized. With high job satisfaction and quality of life, they are invested in contributing to quality care for all Granite Staters.
A resilient health care system is supported by dynamic cross-sector policies. These help to attract and retain workers and create healthy communities.
Advisory Board
Peter Ames
Foundation for Healthy Communities
Mary Behnke
New Hampshire Nurses Association
Kathy Bizarro-Thunberg
New Hampshire Hospital Association
Marcy Doyle
Institute for Health Policy and Practice | UNH Nursing
Kristine Dudley
Community College System of New Hampshire
Kim Firth
Endowment for Health
Yvonne Goldsberry
Endowment for Health
Kristina Fjeld-Sparks
Retired, New Hampshire Area Health Education Center at Dartmouth
Laurie Harding
Forward Fund Advisor
Cynthia Harrington
New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs
Jenny Macaulay
Dartmouth Health
Deanna Jurius
New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification
Ann Landry
New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services
Richard Lavers
New Hampshire Employment Security
Michele Merritt
New Futures
Stephanie Pagliuca
Bi-State Primary Care Association
Jennifer Rabalais
UNH Center on Aging and Community Living
Nick Toumpas
Karitsa Consulting Services
We are a collaborative of health care providers, practitioners, and educators banding together with state government and business leaders to address the critical workforce shortage. The health and wellness of Granite Staters rely on the contributions of the full spectrum of roles that make up our health care workforce.
Data Committee
HealthForce has a standing Data Committee whose objective is “To create one place where stakeholders can access data to answer key questions that will focus efforts and investments to have the greatest impact on addressing health care workforce gaps in New Hampshire.”
Michael Blood
Senior Human Resources Business Partner, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
Marcy Doyle
Institute for Health Policy and Practice | UNH Nursing
Brian Gottlob
Director, Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Department of Employment Security
Danielle Hernandez
Administrator, Health Professions Data Center, Rural Health & Primary Care Section, Division of Public Health, NH Department of Health and Human Services
Paula Williams
Dean Division of Nursing and Health Professions, Rivier University
Michael Blood
Senior Human Resources Business Partner, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
Richard Lavers
Deputy Commissioner, NH Employment Security
If you’re interested in volunteering with HealthForce NH, please reach out.
Get in Touch
- 125 Airport Road
- Concord, NH 03301