Lee Holland

About Lee Holland

10+ years ago, I was a customer service agent and trainer for a major insurance company. One day I received a call that changed my life. Had to tell a man his child’s cancer treatment was considered a pre-existing condition and would not be covered. Spent most of the day helping him sign up for Medicaid so his child could start treatment. His son was a toddler. That day broke something in me. Decided that I wanted to become a healthcare professional to help patients access medical care. Used my knowledge of medical insurance to help people navigate the healthcare system. Have never stopped helping patients since. Eight wild years later, graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy and a Master of Public Health. I was more successful than I could have imagined the day I received the call that broke me. New challenges arose. Three months after starting a post-doctoral research fellowship, my husband Adam was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. Had to use all my knowledge to be sure Adam received the best care possible. Six weeks before Adam died, we moved back to Tennessee to be with family and friends. Took a one-year contract teaching biology at a community college to care for him. Mentored several POC and disadvantaged students who wanted to become healthcare professionals. Six months later, the pandemic began. Spent the first two years of the pandemic as part of a Facebook group providing accurate information and fighting misinformation for the Chattanooga, Tennessee community. 🧪 Used my experience to explain complex medical and scientific topics to the public in plain language summaries of clinical trials. Through all of this, realized the lack health education, poor health literacy and organizational health literacy are major factors in preventing patients from receiving care, including accessing clinical trials. Now, I have a passion for using plain language techniques to promote health education, healthcare access, and health equity. My focus now is on creating programs and educational materials for the public, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders to make healthcare more accessible. My specialties- Managed care - Public health communication best practices - Patient advocacy - Plain language summaries and protocols of clinical trials - Patient education - Continuing education (CE) programs - Needs assessments for CE programs - Slide decks and presentations

Experience

1. Associate Director, Regulatory Services Management - Plain Language Summary

   Certara

   Jul 2023 — Present

Education

• East Tennessee State University

  Master of Public Health - MPH, Health Services Administration

  2014 — 2018

• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Sociology and Anthropology

  1989 — 1994

• East Tennessee State University

  Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

  2013 — 2018