Niketa Williams, MD, MS, MPH

Experience

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  South African Medical Research Council

  Jan 2005 - Jan 2006

  Research Coordinator & Quantitative Researcher

  -Presided over end-phase surveying of adolescents in Durban, South Africa townships regarding awareness and use of local HIV testing services.-Engaged township youth on impediments to HIV testing to streamline health messages and improve local service delivery-Managed staff, designed and organized data spreadsheets, analyzed gathered data, and synthesized findings for public dissemination

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  University of the Witwatersrand

  Mar 2006 - May 2007

  Research Coordinator & Qualitative Researcher

  Rural AIDS and Development Action Research Programme (RADAR)- Interfaced with HIV-positive patients to design, execute and manage ethnographic project on the complexities of acquiring antiretroviral therapy in rural South Africa.- Identified the range of extant health service coverage and psychosocial impediments for proper reproductive health service utilization among patients- Troubleshot regional conflicts affecting equitable and reliable access of services for HIV testing and treatment in rural South African context.- Utilized findings to support improved HIV healthcare services at a regional tertiary hospital & HIVclinic Show less

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  Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)

  Jun 2008 - Dec 2013

  Principal Investigator

  - Designed and implemented evaluative qualitative study among female participants in Phase II/IIb microbicide trial for HIV prevention in Lusaka, Zambia- Expertly controlled budgets; took charge of recruiting, hiring, training, and supervising local Zambian staff.- Analyzed data; synthesized findings as graduate thesis; and utilized findings to inform communication for development strategies to overcome community stigma and bolster future HIV research enrollment and intervention uptake- Prepared & submitted proposals for funding requests; acquired six competitive grants (100% success rate) in independent funding - Authored protocols and negotiated three national and international Ethics Committee reviews Show less

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  New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

  Nov 2012 - Dec 2012

  Preventive Medicine Rotation Student

  Under the Bureau of Correctional Health:- Executed traumatic brain injury screening tool among juvenile detainees at Riker’s Island jails- Designed and utilized needs assessment to develop and implement targeted sexual health education curricula for incarcerated women and girls

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  Forcier Consulting

  Feb 2016 - Jul 2016

  Research Manager

  o Mentored, managed, and ensured safety of 40 multinational staff of Officers and Junior Researchers deployed throughout South Sudano Supported staff in the design and planning of research projects in South Sudan utilizing skills in areas of: proposal writing and editing, basic sampling, methodological approaches including community-based participatory research, research tool design, fieldwork planning, budgeting and financial management, quality assurance, data cleaning and analysis, and synthesis of findings for reportso Initiated and maintained longitudinal relationships with clients and partners including government bodies, donors, NGOs, and private sector enterpriseso Oversaw 3-5 simultaneous, large-scale projects and initiatives implemented nationwide in South Sudan, until outbreak of conflict in July 2016o Managed projects commissioned by clients including Handicap International, BBC Media Action, and Democracy International to identify gaps regarding public health service availability Show less

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  New Leaders Council

  Jan 2019 - Jun 2019

  Fellow

  Member of 2019 Cohort, receiving training and mentorship designed to help build Louisiana's network of emerging progressive leaders.

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  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  Jul 2020 - Sept 2022

  Family Medicine Clinic, Population Health Management Teamo Delivered targeted preventive services support and health messaging to clinic patients for priority health gap closure initiativeso Contributed to Population Health Team overall goals by identifying, counseling, and educating patients about key preventive health initiativeso Developed, designed, and executed health education materials and trainings for clinic staff to aid in patient engagement regarding chronic care management and disease prevention Show less

  • Research Assistant

    Jul 2022 - Sept 2022

  • Preventive Medicine Clinician

    Jul 2020 - Jun 2022
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  RTI International

  Nov 2020 - Mar 2022

  USPSTF Systematic Review Core Team Member

  o Helped to develop systematic review protocols, design and executed literature search strategies, and decided on inclusion criteria for USPSTF update on preventive health screening guidelines for Latent Tuberculosiso Abstracted information from eligible studies, analyzed evidence from medical literature, reviewed meta-analysis data, and wrote/edited portions of the work plan, evidence report, and final journal article for publication

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  PAE

  Dec 2020 - Jan 2021

  Medical Logistician, Covid-19 Navajo Nation

  o Provided clinical guidance and expertise to liaise with clinical partners and advised senior staff on providing comprehensive, culturally competent, medical service at a COVID-19 acute care facility and four isolation facilities throughout Navajo Nation (AZ, NM)o Ensured clinical services were delivered in an equitable, evidence-based, efficient, and cost-effective manner; evaluated ongoing quality and efficacy of medical service provision, identified key needs, and strategized how services could be supported by ensuring uninterrupted medical supply chains.o Ensured that clinical services were meeting the needs of the community by utilizing an electronic barcode system to develop a process for documenting supplieso Created a system for determining pharmacy formularies and critical medical supplies, while managing and monitoring inventories, calculating consumable burn rates, and anticipating changing utilization needs. Show less

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  Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

  Jun 2021 - Aug 2021

  Public Health Intern

  o Provided clinical leadership by creating e-learning to provided education on the importance of high-quality, responsive public health services; leveraged behavior change theories to support a culture of quality in all MSF clinical settingso Developed content to engage all deployed, global field MSF staff representing diverse job titles, educational backgrounds, literacy levels, and cultures

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  U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

  Aug 2021 - Oct 2021

  Preventive Medicine Rotator

  o Supported ongoing evidence-based medicine initiatives by drafting, updating, and presenting clinical practice guidelines for hypertension screening for the entire VA system, based on new clinical recommendations published by organizations such as USPSTF and ACIP

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  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Feb 2022 - Mar 2022

  Preventive Medicine Rotator

  Obesity Prevention and Control Branch of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO):o Supported the DNPAO and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) by compiling and presenting a literature review for best communication strategies for healthcare providers screening pediatric patients for overweight and obesityo Provided consulting to healthcare providers with recommendations for next steps in strategizing the development of guidelines for pediatric clinicians

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  NC Department of Health and Human Services

  Sept 2022 - Mar 2025

  Epidemiology Section, Communicable Disease Branch (CDB), Medical Consultation Unit (MCU);-Engage in and assist with ongoing activities of the MCU: o Collaborated with local partners to enhance public health initiatives; liaised with local health departments to support outbreak control and managemento Provided medical consultation to health providers about communicable disease prevention and surveillance, developed reports, drafted clinical guidance documentso Provided leadership as an Incident Command Lead for the Communicable Disease Branch immediately following Hurricane Helene, acting as point person for all post-hurricane planning and activities, including working with FEMA, the CDC, and internal preparedness partners to ensure efficient responses to various public health needs such as providing vaccinations and providing operational and re-opening guidance regarding clean water accesso Developed a more equitable recruitment process for MPH interns; streamlined recruitment, selection, and onboarding nine (9) interns; created a curriculum to identify and prepare future mentors for mentorshipo Led North Carolina medical provider engagement and education efforts through the development and publication of NCDHHS YouTube video series focusing on emerging communicable disease threatso Fostered and managed collaborations with insurers, health providers, academic centers, and data teams to prevent antibiotic resistance in clinical settings; mentored and precepted medical residents and MPH students; worked with data teams to support health informatics transitions for state TB reporting Show less Division of Public Health, Office of the Director, Strategy Team:o Provided clinical leadership to support new and extant public health initiatives; collaborated on Division-wide strategic planning and corresponding performance management activities for operational excellenceo Directed an efficient implementation of a traveler monitoring program during the Sudan ebolavirus and Marburg Virus Disease outbreaks that required identification, evaluation, and long-term medical monitoring of returning travelers throughout the state.o Managed population health projects and developed strategies for community engagement, including within the Office of the Director; the Office of Health Equity; and DPH Epidemiology Sectiono Oversaw the design, development, and implementation of materials for public health disease prevention including patient education literature, press releases, provider memos, videos, briefings, presentations, web-based content, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) documents, and other public-facing documentso Served as a medical and/or scientific advisor, using expertise to articulate complex issues requiring attention and strategizing with teams on effective approacho Utilized evidence-based approaches to provide medical consultation and guidance for public health programs, including immunization clinics related to COVID-19 and MPox; developed and/or revised statewide medical guidance, policies, and standing orders to ensure consistency with FDA, CDC, WHO, and ACIP clinical recommendations.o Provided key authorship for NCDHHS and NC Division of Public Health documents including, but not limited to, the 2023 State Health Director’s Annual Report on the state of Public Health in North Carolina; the new, updated Division of Public Health Strategic Plan; the 2023 Division of Public Health Strategic Plan Annual Report; and the legislatively-mandated creation of patient education materials for newly-passed abortion laws. Show less

  • Medical Consultant

    Apr 2024 - Mar 2025

  • Medical Consultant

    Sept 2022 - Dec 2024