Medha Havnurkar, MBBS, MPA, CHW, FACHE

Medha Havnurkar is the founding Director, Office of Workforce Planning and Professional Development at the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH). She is leading the workforce transformation efforts with a vision of making New Jersey’s public health workforce strong, future-ready, and resilient as they strive to achieve equitable health outcomes for all New Jerseyans. 

Medha brings over 25 years of health industry experience having served in senior leadership and consultative roles in talent management, workforce development, organizational effectiveness, and culture in large health systems in New Jersey and, as a practicing physician and pharmaceutical executive in India. Driven by a personal philosophy of lifelong learning, she enjoys helping individuals, teams, and organizations to learn, adapt and grow. Most recently, she led Hackensack University Medical Center’s Clinical Education department to help employees upskill, reskill, and adapt through the demands of the pandemic. 

She earned her medical degree from Mysore University, India, and a Master of Public Administration, from New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. She is board certified in a healthcare management, healthcare quality, talent development, and human resources and a proud graduate of NJDOH’s Colette Lamothe Galette, Community Health Worker Institute. A fierce advocate for community health, literacy, education, and reduction of health disparities, she volunteers with several community-based organizations and serves on the board of Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative based in Hackensack, New Jersey.