Marissa Vismara
About Marissa Vismara
Marissa Vismara serves as the Senior Policy Coordinator at the California Primary Care Association, where she advocates for health policy improvements and engages with various stakeholders. She has a diverse background in health policy analysis and has worked with multiple organizations, including the Maryland Department of Health and the University of California, Davis.
Current Role at California Primary Care Association
Marissa Vismara serves as the Senior Policy Coordinator at the California Primary Care Association, a position she has held since 2020. In this role, she engages with various stakeholders, including the California State Legislature, philanthropic organizations, health plans, and academic institutions. Her focus is on advocating for investments in health professionals who are culturally competent and linguistically sensitive, ensuring that diverse communities receive appropriate health care services.
Previous Experience in Health Policy
Prior to her current role, Vismara worked as a Health Policy Analyst at the University of California, Davis from 2019 to 2020. She also held positions at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she served as a Health Policy Analyst from 2016 to 2017 and as a Public Health Fellow from 2014 to 2015. Her experience includes analyzing health policies and contributing to public health initiatives.
Educational Background
Marissa Vismara earned her Master's Degree in Health Policy & Management from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she studied from 2014 to 2016. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Global Health from the University of Washington, which she completed from 2010 to 2012. Additionally, she studied at Seattle University from 2008 to 2010.
Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement
In her role, Vismara represents over 1,300 health center organizations, providing stakeholder input to state government agencies on data collection for evaluating state health programs and reimbursement models. She has led advocacy and communication campaigns, including a significant $202 million budget proposal in the California State Legislature for the fiscal year 2022-2023, aimed at addressing health workforce shortages.
Internships and Early Career Experience
Vismara's early career includes various internships that shaped her expertise in health policy. She worked as a Child Health & Early Education Intern at the Children's Defense Fund from 2013 to 2014 and as a Child Health & Policy Research Intern from 2012 to 2013. Additionally, she interned at NextGen America in 2013 and served as an Executive Assistant to the Vice President at Easter Seals, Inc. from 2011 to 2012.