Episode #473 Rewriting Who Owns The Data, With Meghan Jernigan
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
On This Episode Of The Public Health Epidemiology Conversations (PHEC) Podcast
What happens when a childhood without health insurance shapes an entire career in public health policy? For Meghan Jernigan, that early experience was not a setback. It became the foundation for work that is now changing how tribal nations access and own their own health data.
From Broken Arrow to the State Capitol
Meghan grew up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, as a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, driving over an hour to reach the nearest Indian Health Service hospital for basic care. That lived experience, paired with an unexpected start in theater at Oklahoma State University, set her on a path she never fully planned. Dr. Huntley and Meghan trace that path together in this episode, from a tobacco prevention grant with Native youth to two decades of work spanning tribal epidemiology, research, and now federal relations for the Washington State Department of Health.
Storytelling as a Public Health Tool
Meghan's theater background turns out to be more relevant to public health than it might seem. She and Dr. Huntley dig into why storytelling, relationship building, and communication are just as critical to public health outcomes as data and policy analysis, especially when translating complex federal rulemaking into something lawmakers and communities can act on.
A First of Its Kind Agreement
At the center of this conversation is a landmark data sharing agreement between the Washington State Department of Health and two federally recognized tribes. Meghan explains why this agreement matters far beyond paperwork, and how it represents a broader shift in who gets to hold, interpret, and act on their own health information.
Leading Through Wildfires, Outbreaks, and Uncertainty
From coordinating emergency response during wildfire season to communicating clearly during measles outbreaks, Meghan offers a real-time look at what it takes to keep a state health department responsive when the federal landscape keeps shifting underneath it.
This is a conversation about power, trust, and what happens when communities are finally given the data to tell their own story.
About Our Guest
Meghan Jernigan
Meghan Jernigan is the Federal Relations Deputy Director at the Washington State Department of Health, where she leads federal policy analysis, congressional engagement, and cross agency coordination on national public health issues. An enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Meghan brings 20 years of experience spanning tribal epidemiology, public health research, health communication, and systems level policy development. Her career has included leadership roles with the Urban Indian Health Institute and the University of Washington, with a focus on cancer prevention, Alzheimer's disease research, and improving health outcomes in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Meghan also serves as Director for District 1 on the Shoreline School District Board of Directors and is deeply committed to advancing equitable, community centered public health systems
Listen To This Episode Of The Public Health Epidemiology Conversations (PHEC) Podcast
Conversation Highlights
Lived experience can define a career path.
Meghan's childhood without health insurance, including hour long drives to Claremore Indian Hospital, gave her an early and personal understanding of the gap between healthcare and public health.
Unconventional backgrounds strengthen public health work.
A theater degree might not seem like an obvious entry point into the field, but Meghan credits her training in storytelling and collaboration with shaping how she communicates public health to lawmakers and communities alike.
Federal relations work is more than tracking policy.
Meghan's team analyzes proposed federal rules, coordinates agency wide responses, and produces a monthly congressional newsletter to keep lawmakers informed on how federal decisions affect public health delivery on the ground in Washington State.
A first of its kind data sharing agreement is changing who owns tribal health data.
Washington State's Department of Health became the first state agency to establish a data sharing agreement with a federally recognized tribe, giving the tribe fuller ownership and access to their own health information.
Watch for the deficit mindset.
Meghan describes how constant messaging about limited resources can quietly erode a team's sense of what is possible, even when the workforce and expertise are strong.
Public health needs people from every discipline.
Meghan encourages listeners, especially students, to stay open to roles they might not have originally envisioned, including rural health work, where significant investment is currently happening.
Mentorship should run in both directions.
Meghan actively seeks input from younger colleagues and students, believing that public health professionals need guidance from both emerging and experienced voices to stay creative and responsive.
"Data is about power. Data is about your story." — Meghan Jernigan
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Public Health Consulting
DrCHHuntley LLC is a public health consulting firm that specializes in epidemiology consulting, supporting large nonprofit organizations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida that serve Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). We also provide nationwide public health consulting and epidemiology consulting support to BIPOC organizations across the United States.
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