Kathleen Szegda to Depart Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts

SPRINGFIELD — After almost 20 years at the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts (PHIWM), Kathleen Szegda, director of Community Research and Evaluation, will leave at the end of July to pursue consulting opportunities.

Szegda joined PHIWM (then Partners for a Healthier Community) in 2006 as the Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition manager. She went on to build strategies addressing indoor air quality and successfully secured an EPA CARE grant, expanding asthma prevention efforts.

She helped lead the expansion of PHIWM’s community research and evaluation efforts, spearheading many innovative reports in the region, including the Springfield Health Equity Report (2014), the Health Impact Assessment for the Western Mass. Casino (2014), and two series of community health needs assessments for the Coalition of Western Massachusetts Hospitals/Insurer. She also led efforts to create data infrastructure for the region’s health equity dashboards, including the COVID-19 data dashboard, which informed households, institutions, and policy decisions during the pandemic.

“Kathleen’s laid-back, yet precise and thorough approach has made her a trusted colleague to many and a dear, lasting friend to us at PHIWM,” Executive Director Jessica Collins said. “Her grounded dedication and leadership in advancing racial justice, health equity for asthma, maternal and youth mental health, and supporting state efforts — such as the recent Community Health Equity Initiative — are just a few of her enduring contributions. Kathleen will remain connected to PHIWM and continue supporting public health innovation through consulting.”