Andrea Ducas is a senior program officer with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation working to help build a Culture of Health. Having joined the Foundation in 2012, she praises its “unique vantage point at the nexus of health policy development and program implementation.” She describes the best part of her job as “having the opportunity to help connect inspiring people working hard to disrupt the status quo and improve health.” In her role, Andrea contributes to the Foundation’s efforts to find ways to transform health care systems and to push for health policy changes that have a meaningful impact on people’s lives. She has launched and managed programs related to payment and delivery system reform, tackling inequities and forms of structural oppression in health care, and advancing policy change through authentic community engagement, better access to data, and power-building. Andrea is also involved with the Foundation’s efforts to advance a Culture of Health in New Jersey.
Previously, Andrea served as development and communications associate for the Center for Family Representation (CFR), a nonprofit law and policy organization in New York City. As the chief marketing officer of EveryDoc.com, Andrea helped to develop and design an online community that sought to enhance the exchange of health information between medical professionals, enable patient feedback to promote practice improvement, and empower people to seek out clinicians that met their own individual needs and preferences. Earlier in her career, she was a Visiting Scholar with the United States Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Andrea earned a BA in International Relations from Brown University and an MPH in Health Policy and Management from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
Born in (always) sunny south Florida, Andrea currently resides in (sometimes) sunny Jersey City with her husband, Patrick Toussaint, and their young son. They enjoy being involved in their community, international travel, concerts, running, and spending time with friends.