Kaniqua Outlaw brings a decade of experience in HIV prevention, data management and public health informatics to the Center. When she’s not busy uncovering health workforce data insights, you will find her baking and sampling sushi, as well as trying new adventures like axe throwing. Kaniqua shares more about her role with the Center and hobbies in the Q&A below.

Why did you choose to work for the NC Center on the Workforce for Health?

I chose to work for the NC Center on the Workforce for Health because I wanted to
contribute to efforts to address the health workforce challenges in North Carolina. In a
previous role as an informatics manager with a local health department, I gained practical
data analysis and informatics skills through the professional development and learning
opportunities that were made available through the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of
2021) initiative. Working with the Center will allow me to not only apply those skills within
my role, but also allows me to contribute to an innovative concept for addressing workforce
challenges.

What does your role for the Center entail?

My role for the Center entails spearheading data analysis of workforce data from a variety
of sources and coordinating with our partners to enhance the way we use our existing data
sources. I will also build data visualizations that will enable our leadership to make strategic
decisions for addressing workforce challenges.

Share some of the rewards of being part of the inaugural team at the Center.

One of the biggest rewards of being part of the inaugural team is that I get the opportunity
to help enhance the workforce data infrastructure to drive action for employers, employees,
students, and other stakeholders. Another reward of being part of the inaugural team is
that I know my contributions will help set the foundation for achieving our long-term goals.

Why is the Center’s mission to strengthen our state’s health workforce important to you
personally?

The Center’s mission is important to me personally because as a North Carolinian, not only
do I receive services and support from our healthcare workforce, like others in the state, I
am directly impacted when there are gaps or shortages in available healthcare staff. Having
grown up in a rural county where workforce shortages were normalized, I can attest to the
need to make strategic plans to address these gaps.

What are some highlights from your professional experience that make you well suited for your role with the center?

Some highlights from my professional experience that I think make me well suited for my
role with the Center include my experience with engaging local, state, and federal
stakeholders in my previous role. As a data integration manager, this role primarily involved
helping states to improve HIV viral load suppression for Medicaid beneficiaries by improving
their capacity to report the HIV Viral Suppression measure (HVL-AD) to the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) as part of the Adult Core Set. This involved understanding the
data, technical, legal, and regulatory contexts for different state agencies and how those
factors influence their ability to make strategic, data-driven decisions.

Another highlight stems from an internship as a grants data analyst where I focused on analyzing data on donations made during major climate events. This is where my creative and analytical skills
were tested and honed. This experience gave me the practical skills and experience with
becoming familiar with new datasets, learning how to ask the right questions about the
data, and how the answers to those questions might drive the overall approach to my
analysis.

What are three adjectives you would use to describe yourself?

Tenacious, observant and imaginative.

What was your first job as a teenager or young adult?

One of my first jobs as a young adult was as a student transit bus driver for my
undergraduate university.

Outside of work, how do you enjoy spending your free time?

Outside of work, I enjoy spending my free time reading, watching movies, cooking, baking,
and trying new activities like golf, axe-throwing, and ziplining. I am also a sushi connoisseur.

What are you currently reading or watching on television?

I’m currently reading Kindred by Octavia Butler. I recently finished binge watching ‘3 Body
Problem’ on Netflix.

To read Kaniqua’s bio click here.

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