Say hello to Heather!

CHC is pleased to welcome Dr. Heather Voorhees to our team as a Postdoctoral Fellow.  Heather will be leading a major component of our Mental Health & Health Communication theme funded by the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. Projects include development of a whitepaper and curriculum development for healthcare professionals.

A Minnesota native, Heather earned her undergraduate degree in mass communication (emphasis print journalism) from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2003, which launched a 5-year career as a small-town newspaper reporter and photographer. She then transferred her storytelling expertise to her role within the internal communications team for Fairview Health Services, the largest hospital, clinic, and specialty care organization in the Twin Cities. There, for more than seven years, Heather specialized in digging up and creatively sharing stories of patient success via intranet articles, videos, public speaking arrangements and interactive presentations. After earning a Professional M.A. in Strategic Communication from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and working for 1 year as a communication manager at the U.S. Bank corporate headquarters, Heather earned a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, focusing on interpersonal health communication.

Heather and her two pugs have moved to Austin, while her husband of 13 years, Adam, and their two cats temporarily remain in Lincoln, Neb. An avid home cook, she is excited to explore the Austin food scene.