Jennifer Rienks, PhD

Jennifer Rienks, PhD, has been with FHOP since 1996 and is currently the Associate Director of FHOP. A native of Connecticut, Dr. Rienks received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Connecticut before heading west to complete both her Masters of Science degree and PhD in Social Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her research interests include the application of social science theories and methods to public health to change health behaviors and health systems, and the role of the physical and social environment in shaping health behaviors.

Dr. Rienks has worked on a variety of research projects and brings data analysis, research and survey design and project management skills to FHOP. Past projects include researching the use of a risk assessment tool for the targeting clinical outreach and HIV prevention services to high-risk women; an evaluation of a breast-cancer navigator project; a community collaborative research project funded by the University-wide AIDS Research Project to compare the effectiveness of standard HIV testing and counseling vs. an enhanced intervention that included STD screening; the evaluation of the SevenPrinicples Project - a project to reduce black infant mortality disparities in San Francisco conducted by the San Francisco Department and Public Health. Recently, Dr. Rienks has been researching the impact of implementing a new model of labor and delivery on physician satisfaction and patient outcomes at a local community hospital. Current projects include leading the 2016-2020 Title V Needs Assessment for the California Department of Health Services' California Children's Services program, and ongoing work with the California Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health to provide county level data and build local capacity for effective health planning, intervention implementation and program evaluation.