Grace Townsend is a Senior Program Manager with the Primary Care Coalition’s Population Health team. Since joining the organization in March 2021, she has worked with Nexus Montgomery and delved into various public health initiatives. Her newest responsibility is leading the organization’s new maternal health grant, which seeks to integrate and improve systems that connect high-risk birthing parents with supportive services during pregnancy and postpartum.
“My work at PCC is exactly what I entered the public health field to do,” said Townsend. “The organization aligns perfectly with my interests and passions for equity and access to care, and it’s exciting to design programs that impact people at the community level.”
Townsend moved to Washington, D.C., where she still lives, to attend George Washington (GW) University. She was born and raised in central New Jersey and, from a young age, was set on having a career in healthcare. After forming a love for public health, Grace Townsend completed a joint degree program to earn her bachelor's and master's degrees in public health.
“Being a part of PCC, there’s a lot of action behind improving our community’s health by eliminating barriers and addressing health disparities that impact the lives of far too many people.”
When asked what she likes best about PCC, Townsend quickly said, “The people.”
“The people who work for the organization are absolutely wonderful. Everyone is so mission-driven and like-minded in the work that they do. We are very aligned, which may be partly due to the nature of the work. To be in a field like this, you have to care about what you are doing and the populations you are serving.”
One fact about Grace Townsend that some of her colleagues may not know is that she loves to travel. She is currently working toward achieving an ambitious goal of visiting all 50 U.S. states within the next three years. Her self-imposed rule is that she must spend the night in each state, putting together itineraries to ensure she sees the state’s highlights during her stay. She plans to visit Charleston, South Carolina, this year with friends, so she will soon be checking that one off her list.
Earlier in the year, Townsend took a southern road trip with her parents to visit the Gulf States. Her dad has a similar goal of visiting all 50 states and is very close to achieving his goal with only four more to go.
“I love national parks and try to hit as many as possible in the states I visit. There are a lot of hidden gems no matter where you’re visiting,” said Townsend, who also takes on the role of travel planner for her friends. She admits that becoming a travel planner could one day become a side hustle.
Outside of work and travel, Grace Townsend loves to try new restaurants and spend quality time with her friends. She also enjoys photography. At the beginning of the year, she started taking pottery classes and is working on perfecting her skills with clay.
When asked what drives her, Grace Townsend said, “Life is very short, and I try to be very intentional about how I’m spending my time and how I’m taking in the world we live in.”
In her work, she is inspired and driven to be a part of efforts to “help prevent the inequalities in people’s lives from being the biggest obstacle impacting their health and well-being.”
“My work at PCC is exactly what I entered the public health field to do,” said Townsend. “The organization aligns perfectly with my interests and passions for equity and access to care, and it’s exciting to design programs that impact people at the community level.”
Townsend moved to Washington, D.C., where she still lives, to attend George Washington (GW) University. She was born and raised in central New Jersey and, from a young age, was set on having a career in healthcare. After forming a love for public health, Grace Townsend completed a joint degree program to earn her bachelor's and master's degrees in public health.
“Being a part of PCC, there’s a lot of action behind improving our community’s health by eliminating barriers and addressing health disparities that impact the lives of far too many people.”
When asked what she likes best about PCC, Townsend quickly said, “The people.”
“The people who work for the organization are absolutely wonderful. Everyone is so mission-driven and like-minded in the work that they do. We are very aligned, which may be partly due to the nature of the work. To be in a field like this, you have to care about what you are doing and the populations you are serving.”
One fact about Grace Townsend that some of her colleagues may not know is that she loves to travel. She is currently working toward achieving an ambitious goal of visiting all 50 U.S. states within the next three years. Her self-imposed rule is that she must spend the night in each state, putting together itineraries to ensure she sees the state’s highlights during her stay. She plans to visit Charleston, South Carolina, this year with friends, so she will soon be checking that one off her list.
Earlier in the year, Townsend took a southern road trip with her parents to visit the Gulf States. Her dad has a similar goal of visiting all 50 states and is very close to achieving his goal with only four more to go.
“I love national parks and try to hit as many as possible in the states I visit. There are a lot of hidden gems no matter where you’re visiting,” said Townsend, who also takes on the role of travel planner for her friends. She admits that becoming a travel planner could one day become a side hustle.
Outside of work and travel, Grace Townsend loves to try new restaurants and spend quality time with her friends. She also enjoys photography. At the beginning of the year, she started taking pottery classes and is working on perfecting her skills with clay.
When asked what drives her, Grace Townsend said, “Life is very short, and I try to be very intentional about how I’m spending my time and how I’m taking in the world we live in.”
In her work, she is inspired and driven to be a part of efforts to “help prevent the inequalities in people’s lives from being the biggest obstacle impacting their health and well-being.”
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