MAVEN Project’s new CEO brings a storyteller’s heart and a clinician’s insight to expanding access and supporting those who care for underserved communities.
When Dr. Jessica Lee talks about her path in health care, she does not begin with medical school or her recent job as the Chief Medical Officer of Medicaid – she starts with a story.
Before becoming a physician, Dr. Lee worked as a journalist – a role that taught her to listen deeply and see the story behind every patient.
“I started out in journalism and immediately gravitated toward health and health care,” she said. “The more I learned, the more I wanted to be able to change the outcomes for people.”
Lee quickly realized that as a journalist, she often arrived too late.
“A lot of times, I would come in and the story would basically be over. You were writing about what happened and trying to change it, sometimes for that person, but usually for the next person,” she said. “I wanted to be in a role where I could actually change the story – to make the ending better.”
In the medical field, she brought with her the same skills that made her a strong journalist – curiosity, empathy, and the ability to listen. Her journey eventually led her into public service. As Chief Medical Officer for Medicaid and CHIP at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Dr. Lee saw firsthand both the challenges and the incredible innovation happening across the country to improve care for low-income people and support communities.
“I was deeply impressed by the innovation and improvement that states and providers are striving to make in healthcare, and there is just so much more that needs to happen,” she said. “You see that in numbers, but you also hear it in stories – stories about needs that still need to be met.”
That same passion for improving access now drives her work as the new Chief Executive Officer of MAVEN Project.
“We often ask ourselves: How do we support the healthcare workforce? How do we expand specialty access? How do we sustain the providers serving in community health centers?” Dr. Lee said. “It is just a conversation we are having over and over again. And MAVEN Project is really providing a unique answer to that question.”
Dr. Lee shared that she was drawn to MAVEN Project for two key reasons: first, its ability to expand access to specialty expertise, helping patients receive expert care through their primary providers in a seamless, collaborative model, and second, its commitment to supporting the frontline providers serving underserved communities.
“The volunteer workforce is the core of this,” Lee said. “It is an incredible group of people who are completely committed to this work, and that is something truly unique about the MAVEN Project.”
Looking ahead, Lee plans to maintain MAVEN Project’s high-quality volunteer workforce while expanding to reach more clinics that need their services and supporting innovation to improve care. For example, she notes that MAVEN Project is well-positioned to help navigate the evolving landscape of technology, including learning how to effectively integrate AI and bridge emerging digital divides.
Despite her busy schedule, Dr. Lee continues to see patients as a pulmonologist at the University of Pennsylvania – a choice that reflects both her sense of purpose and her belief in staying grounded in the realities of care.
“I practice in an academic medical center and am fortunate to be surrounded by other specialists,” she explained. “Even so, I still have to ask for favors to get my patients in to see specialists in a timely manner. I often see patients during lunch or add them before my clinic starts. So even from a personal standpoint, specialty access remains incredibly challenging. When I think about providers working in community health centers, that motivates me to support them however I can.”
And for Dr. Lee, staying in clinical practice is more than professional discipline – it is essential perspective.
“Spending time actually immersed in the work is really important in terms of being grounded in the problems that you are trying to solve on a day-to-day basis,” she said. “There is really no substitute for that.”
Dr. Lee’s journey has come full circle. She began as a storyteller, listening, learning, and sharing the stories of people’s lives. Now, as she leads MAVEN Project, she continues to invite others into the narrative of change in a new way, connecting stories and sharing knowledge to change the outcomes and, ultimately, to change lives.
“There are so many good stories out there – good outcomes, inspiring moments, and powerful examples of what is possible,” she said. “The more we listen to our providers and volunteers, the more grounded we stay in our mission and our future.”
Fun Facts About Dr. Jessica Lee
Education & Training
- B.A. from Harvard University
- M.D. from the University of Colorado School of Medicine
- Residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Still in Practice
She continues to see patients every other week as a pulmonologist at the University of Pennsylvania.
Hobbies & Recharge
Dr. Lee recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in September and has a passion for cooking healthy, delicious food.
