Dr. Xonjenese Jacobs, who received her DrPH degree from the USF College of Public Health (COPH) in 2022, has been named faculty administrator/director of Florida Covering Kids & Families (FL-CKF).
Florida Covering Kids & Families, housed within the COPH, works collaboratively with Florida agencies and stakeholders to help ensure all Floridians have access to quality, affordable health care coverage.
Jacobs is no stranger to FL-CKF.
From 2013 to 2017, she worked as a Navigator project coordinator/program planner analyst with FL-CKF. In that role, she managed five consortium partners who covered 34 of 67 Florida counties and $2.5 million of the $5.9 million awarded to FL-CKF annually for the provision of navigator services under the Affordable Care Act. She also performed Navigator services, helping people learn about and enroll in affordable health care coverage.
Jacobs comes to her current role after serving in leadership positions with the Pace Center for Girls, an organization with centers across the state. Pace provides girls and young women an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy.
Under her leadership, Jacobs said she hopes to help FL-CKF cultivate partnerships with more entities that service vulnerable communities.
“It is my hope to maintain the legacy of excellence in service to communities across the state of Florida and to connect more Floridians to affordable healthcare,” Jacobs said. “I’d like to see FL-CKF focus on promoting health literacy and provide assistance with access to health care through the availability of affordable health insurance. It is our desire to provide opportunities to future public health professionals to see public health in action and learn more about how FL-CKF contributes to positive health outcomes for children and families across the state.”