RWHC Staff
Dean Coonrod, M.D., M.P.H., FACOG
Chairman, Department of OB/GYN,
Maricopa Integrated Health System
Dr. Coonrod is the Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Maricopa Integrated Health System in Phoenix, Arizona and is an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine. Dr. Coonrod received his undergraduate degree at Seattle Pacific University and then pursued a medical degree and master’s degree in public health at the University of Washington. Dr. Coonrod completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Arizona where he actively practices as a clinician, researcher, educator, and advocate to victims of domestic violence (DV) through his community health work. Dr. Coonrod’s longstanding commitment to public health in the Maricopa County community is evidenced by his leadership in public programs and funded grants. Several of these key leadership roles include: (1) Medical Director for the Well Woman Healthcheck Program, (2) Member of the Phoenix Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team, (3) Principal Investigator on a grant which launched a hospital-wide domestic violence advocacy program, (4) Principal Investigator on a March of Dimes grant to create an internatal clinic which provides care for women between pregnancies who have experienced an adverse pregnancy outcome, and (5) Investigator on the Family Sanas Grant to improve compliance with the post partum visit.
Crista Johnson, MD, MSc, FACOG
OB/GYN Maricopa Integrated Health System,
Director of the Refugee Women’s Health Clinic
Dr. Johnson is an Obstetrician/Gynecologist at Maricopa Integrated Health System, in Phoenix, AZ, where she is Director of the Refugee Women’s Health Clinic. She is also a Clinical Research Affiliate of the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center (SIRC), which is a NIH-funded National Center of Excellence in minority health and health disparities at Arizona State University. She received her undergraduate degree from The Johns Hopkins University, medical degree from the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and completed her residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the George Washington University Medical Center. She subsequently completed a fellowship in Female Sexual Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar at the University of Michigan where she obtained her Masters in Health and Health Care Research examining disparities in reproductive health care among refugees/immigrants. She has presented nationally and internationally on the challenges faced by health care providers in the care of women with Female Genital Cutting (FGC). Dr. Johnson's current research focuses on investigating strategies to improve health outcomes for immigrant women who have undergone FGC, with the aim of improving health care access, utilization, reproductive health education, counseling, community engagement, and cultural competency.
Jeanne Nizigiyimana, M.A., MSW Program Manager,
Refugee Women’s Health Clinic
Jeanne F. Nizigiyimana is the Program Manager and co-founder of the Refugee Women’s Health Clinic (RWHC) at Maricopa Integrated Health System in Phoenix, AZ where she also chairs the Refugee Women’s Health Community Advisory Coalition (RWHCAC). While providing community culturally-grounded health education, her work involves the duties of a community partner for research activities that are co-designed and co-implemented by an interdisciplinary, multicultural staff, volunteers and community members. Originally from Burundi, Ms. Nizigiyimana’s role within the RWHCAC is to strengthen refugee communities. She holds several undergraduate degrees, speaks six different languages, and earned her Masters of Social Work degree from Arizona State University (ASU) in May 2005. She began her career in 1999 as a case manager with Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement, served as Program Coordinator for the Strengthening Families Project, Adjustment Services Program Supervisor, and as the Director of Phoenix Family Programs for BRYCS. In 1999, she co-founded Refugee Women United for Progress, Inc. As well, she serves on various boards including the ASU Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center (SIRC) Community Advisory Board, ASU-College of Nursing and Health Innovation Community Advisory Board and ASU West Social Work Advisory Board. She has received numerous awards including the ASU-SIRC Community Leadership Award in Eliminating Health Disparities.
Asheraka Boru Medical Assistant of the Refugee Women’s Health Clinic