Ruth Brogden
Maternal and Child Health

I began working for Colgate-Palmolive Co. shortly after receiving my undergraduate degree in Biology. Recalling my many years of working in clinical and hospital settings, I realized my heart was really in Public Health. I then began to pursue a graduate degree in Public Health on a part-time basis. Upon completion of my degree, attaining a job to apply my Public Health skills did not come easy. Therefore, I created a couple of unique opportunities for myself at Colgate which merged my interest in Public Health with the business needs of Colgate. I became involved in the creation of the new Softsoap Hand Hygiene program, served as Coordinator of the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Dental Health program, and worked with the Professional Relations program which was an outreach to dentists and hygienists nationwide. This experience in industry brought a new perspective of Public Health to me, emphasizing that Public Health’s reach was far beyond clinical and community settings.

I was then presented with an opportunity to work with Gateway Northwest Maternal and Child Health Network, a nonprofit organization of health care professionals and consumers seeking to improve the health and well being of mothers, infants, children and adolescents. Here at Gateway, I serve as Director of the Quality Assurance program where I manage the Regional Electronic Birth Certificate (EBC) Database, ensuring its data quality, and it data application in Public Health programs and grants. I also work with State representatives on the Newborn Hearing Screening program, coordinate educational sessions in clinical settings, and work with medical professionals in overseeing the TQI Committee which is designed to identify the nature and severity of health-service problems in the community. Between my time at Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Gateway Northwest, I have experienced the exciting world of Public Health at work in a range of different settings and continue to do so everyday.

Ruth Brogden, MPH
Director, Quality Assurance
Gateway Northwest Maternal and Child Health Network