Granite VNA has named public health specialist Kelli Anaya as one of its community health educators. In this role, Anaya will work to plan, coordinate and implement programs designed to promote wellness and help community members learn to prevent and manage disease. She will also work with Granite VNA patients in their homes to reinforce healthy habits, assist with self-management skills and help them achieve their personal health-related goals.

Prior to joining Granite VNA, Anaya held many diverse roles including as a medical surge planner contracted through Maxim Healthcare in Concord with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Bureau for Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery to develop strategic plans for healthcare systems to adapt during public health emergencies. She also served as a social media ambassador and board member for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (AFSP) in New Hampshire and Maine, managing the chapter’s social media posts and promoting community events.

Her previous positions include roles as a medical assistant in New Hampshire at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, as well as organizations based in Massachusetts and Florida. Additionally, Anaya served as a therapeutic mentor at Lahey Health Behavioral Services in Beverly, MA, fostering a therapeutic environment for children to achieve their goals, and as a program specialist for The May Institute in Revere, MA, offering support to adults with disabilities. She also worked as a recovery support specialist for a Boston-based non-profit, assisting individuals with health inequities to achieve their personal goals.

“Kelli has been a great addition to our community wellness team,” said Jennifer Brechtel, CHES, Granite VNA’s director of community health. “She consistently demonstrates strong teamwork and a growing commitment to community engagement. Her experience working as a medical assistant, a therapeutic mentor and a program specialist, as well as her work with DHHS and AFSP, has equipped her with the ability to connect with individuals facing adversity, enhancing the compassionate nature of our work.”

Granite VNA’s community wellness education programs are designed to promote wellness and address disease prevention and management. The agency offers an array of programs, such as A Matter of Balance, Memory Café, Online Caregiver Connection and others, that cover a variety of topics including aging, healthy lifestyles, advance care planning, grief and bereavement, caregiving, and more throughout the 82 New Hampshire communities the agency serves.

Anaya is a registered medical assistant who holds a Master of Public Health degree from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Bridgewater State College.