We are thrilled to announce and introduce our new staff members. Maxilia Desir has joined our policy team and brings years of experience in health policy. Annelise Slater, MPH, has joined our quality improvement team, where she brings valuable experience in public health and quality improvement. Together, Maxilia and Annelise will enhance the Quality Institute’s work to improve health care safety, quality, and affordability for everyone.
Maxilia Desir, Program Officer, Policy
Maxilia Desir most recently worked as Chief of Staff to Assemblywoman Shanique Speight, Chair of the Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee and Vice Chair of the Assembly Regulated Professions Committee. Desir supported the Assemblywoman on legislative initiatives, including the Menstrual Health Campaign, which raises awareness of menstrual disorders. She also worked to advance legislation that ensures that individuals without access to menstrual products and infant diapers would have access to those resources. Desir was also engaged in the development and execution of successful budget resolutions, securing significant funding for many worthy organizations. She led strategic advocacy efforts to garner bipartisan support and secure cosponsors, ensuring critical initiatives achieved widespread legislative backing.
Desir is now part of the Quality Institute’s Policy Team and is continuing the work on the Maternity Action Plan (NJ MAP), a four-part directional plan to improve Maternal Infant Health in New Jersey.
Desir currently is a Master of Public Administration candidate at Cornell University, where her studies focus on health equity, climate change, and racial justice.
“I’m eager to bring my experience to the Quality Institute to advance our mission to improve health care for everyone,” Desir said. “I look forward to collaborating with all our members, as well as health policy leaders and community partners. Addressing structural inequities in health care through targeted programs and policies can reduce the inequities that harm too many of our residents.”
Annelise Slater, MPH
Annelise Slater previously worked as a program manager on the CDC-funded, Vaccine Confidence Program at the National Nurse-led Care Consortium. This program supported a national audience of nurses working to overcome obstacles during the pandemic, including work shortages and misinformation. In this role, Slater coordinated the Children’s Vaccine Education Project in partnership with the Franklin Institute and Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC). This program increased dialogue about vaccines among nurses, parents, and children and aimed to reduce disparities in vaccination rates among children.
More recently, Slater worked as Director of Strategy Development at PHMC, developing and expanding programs and partnerships across Philadelphia and Delaware, writing grant proposals, and providing grant management support.
Now part of the Quality Institute’s Quality Improvement Team, Slater works on Raising the Bar and TeamBirth, both programs focused on shared decision making and improving birth equity and outcomes. Slater helps deliver the training, implementation, and evaluation tools for these programs and provides technical assistance to participating hospital systems and community partners. Slater also supports the Quality Institute’s role as a Regional Leader for The Leapfrog Group. Leapfrog promotes transparency on hospital and Ambulatory Surgery Center safety.
Slater holds a Master of Public Health degree from UNC Chapel Hill with a concentration in Health Behavior. The concentration looks at values, environments, and policies that influence a person’s health.
“I’m excited to work on advancing the Quality Institute’s essential initiatives. What we do every day is groundbreaking and impactful,” Slater said. “And I know that supporting the Quality Institute’s work with Leapfrog will continue to improve quality and save lives of people receiving health care in New Jersey.”
Please join us in welcoming Maxilia and Annelise.