NICHQ Employee Spotlight: Aleena Surenian

Full name and title: Aleena Surenian, MPH

Job Title: Project Manager

Key Projects: Maternal Health Action & Resource Center (MHARC)

Joined NICHQ: November 2024

How has your background led you to join a national children’s health organization?

My journey to NICHQ, I believe, really started back in undergrad at Northeastern University, where I studied Behavioral Neuroscience and minored in Health Sciences. During that time, I found myself drawn to perinatal mental health specifically, and especially how a person’s environment and support systems could shape their experience during and after pregnancy. I think that interest really pushed me to pursue my MPH at Boston University, where I then concentrated in maternal and child health and focused on community assessment, program design, and implementation. From there, after finishing my MPH, I moved back home to Chicago and joined the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative, or ILPQC, as a project coordinator.

ILPQC gave me hands-on experience in implementing statewide initiatives to ultimately improve outcomes for moms and babies all over the state. I think all these experiences built on each other and naturally led me to NICHQ, and it felt like it was a perfect fit because the mission aligned so closely with what I care about, which is improving the health and well-being of children and families on a broader scale.

You have worked with Perinatal Quality Collaboratives in the past. How do you plan to use this experience in your current role as Project Manager for the Maternal Health Action & Resource Center (MHARC)?

Great question! My time at ILPQC was such a foundational experience for me because I learned so much about the landscape of maternal and child health, especially from a statewide perspective at that point. Working as a project coordinator, like I mentioned, I helped hospitals implement quality improvement initiatives and worked closely with state partners to make sure efforts were aligned and impactful. That experience really taught me what it was like to move large-scale projects forward and support change at the systems level. So now, in my role with MHARC, it’s been fulfilling to bring that to a national level. I know what it’s like to be on the ground in a state trying to implement change, so I hope to be a resource to the 42 Maternal Health Innovation grantees as they’re working towards improving outcomes in their own states.

On MHARC, you are part of the Training & Technical Assistance (TTA) team. Can you explain what this team does and what some of the TA offerings are?

Being a part of the TTA team has been such an awesome experience through my time at NICHQ already. With the TTA team, we get to support grantees in meaningful ways through both one-on-one support and larger all-grantee programming that brings everybody together to share cross-cutting strategies and learn from each other. Some of the programming I’m especially proud of are the capacity-building offerings. We’ve helped launch things like the MHI Leaders Mentorship Program and a data and evaluation community of practice. We’ve also partnered with groups like MoMMAs Voices to provide training on integrating lived experience into maternal health work, which I believe is such a vital part of this field. So, I’m excited to be part of a team that creates spaces where grantees can connect with each other, build skills, and truly feel supported in pushing their work forward.

As the first year of the MHARC project comes to an end, what are some successes you’ve had on the project? What are you looking forward to accomplishing during its second year?

A few big standouts for me have been launching the individual technical assistance or TA program, which has really helped us build those deeper relationships with grantees and understand where they’re at in their space. Also, hosting monthly Grantee Connection & Action Calls has been wonderful and sparked some really thoughtful and solution-driven conversations among all grantees. Throughout it all, we’ve worked closely with our collaborative partners – AMCHP, ASTHO, and HealthConnect One – which has made the work feel really aligned and grounded in our shared goals. So, looking ahead to Year Two, I’m excited to keep building on the momentum and refining our offerings based on grantee feedback and creating more spaces for peer learning.

What does NICHQ’s mission mean to you? 

I love NICHQ’s mission because it aligns a lot with my personal mission in the MCH space, which is to be a part of and work on innovative projects with the goal of reducing maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and ensuring optimal health outcomes for all. What makes it even more meaningful to me is being part of a team where everyone shares that same drive. Working alongside people who are just as passionate as I am has been so energizing. It keeps me motivated to keep pushing for change and brings meaning to the day-to-day work that moves us closer to that shared vision.

What advice do you have for other public health professionals early in their careers?

I love this question because I can speak from so much personal experience. As a young professional in this space, I think one of the most important parts of my growth has been connecting with people who’ve really paved the way and helped shape the field. Networking and relationship-building have been so valuable to me, and I always encourage others who are early in their careers to prioritize those connections and be open to learning from others’ experiences. 

I also wouldn’t do this question justice without shouting out our Executive Project Director and a mentor to me, who is Dr. Stacey Penny. She’s been a huge inspiration, not just since I joined NICHQ, but even before that, when I was working with her in the Perinatal Quality Collaborative space. Her support and guidance have played such a big role in helping me to get to where I am today, so I’m incredibly grateful for that, and I think it speaks volumes to this question as well. 

Who or what inspires you professionally?

What inspires me professionally is being a part of a field like maternal and child health that’s always evolving. There’s so much creativity in this space and the ability to continuously learn is built into the work, and that really helps me feel engaged and continue growing in this space. I’m also really motivated by the fact that our work has a real and tangible impact. I’ve seen how systems-level changes in this space lead to healthier outcomes for families, so that truly gives the work real meaning and inspires me along the way.