Theresa Alphonse

ABOUT THERESA ALPHONSE, MPH

Health Systems Strategist. Public Health Scholar. Community Rooted Leader.

Theresa Alphonse is a health systems strategist who helps organizations build programs, policies, and care models that truly serve the communities they are meant to reach. Her work lives at the intersection of public health, maternal health, global perspectives, and community wisdom. She designs strategies that feel grounded in lived experience and supported by evidence, a rare combination that allows teams to move from intention to real impact.

For more than a decade, Theresa has worked across clinical systems, community organizations, and global settings to strengthen the ways health care is delivered. Her approach reflects a belief that transformation is possible when data, culture, and human dignity sit at the same table. She brings deep experience in implementation, evaluation, and systems design, along with a talent for translating complex challenges into clear and actionable strategies.

Her leadership has been shaped by her Haitian heritage, her work with immigrant and Black communities across Massachusetts, and her global experiences in places like Dakar, Accra, and India. She understands how history, culture, and power shape health outcomes. She also understands how to help organizations navigate those realities with honesty and purpose.

Theresa is a graduate of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and an alumna and current faculty member of the Massachusetts Institute for Community Health Leadership. She is also a Certified Community Health Worker, doula, and life coach, which gives her an intimate understanding of what patients, families, and frontline workers need to feel seen and supported. These experiences inform her systems-level work and allow her to design solutions that are not only effective, but also grounded in real human experience.

As the founder of Driving Equity Consulting, she partners with foundations, health care organizations, and public health leaders who are ready to build programs that honor community voice, improve maternal health outcomes, and strengthen the very systems that shape our collective well-being. Her work is guided by clarity, humility, and a commitment to impact that lasts beyond a single project or funding cycle.

Theresa has been featured in the Boston Globe, Springwell, the Public Health Culture Podcast, and Voices With Pebbles. She is currently a Doctor of Public Health student at Emory University, where she continues to refine her expertise in implementation science and evaluation.

Her mission is simple: build healthier systems by listening to the people who know the system best.

Features: Boston Globe, Springwell, Public Health Culture Podcast, Voices With Pebbles