When I met Efe M. Oghoghome in person at the 2025 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, it was immediately clear that she brings both depth and drive to her role in public health. Her work isn’t merely about messaging—it’s about reimagining the entire ecosystem of health communications, especially for young people navigating a complex world.
As a Health Communications Specialist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Efe plays a central role in shaping the voice and vision of youthink Incubator Hub, an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that redefines how we approach adolescent and young adult health.
Innovation in Action
"youthink is centered around innovation and design thinking," she shared. "We support teams across the U.S. and its territories as they go from identifying a challenge in adolescent and young adult health to developing something tangible—like an game, a curriculum, or a community program—that directly addresses it."
The first youthink cohort brought together five teams whose projects ranged from mental health support for youth in Louisville, KY to providing education on sexual responsibilities for students with intellectual disabilities at colleges nationwide, and perinatal support for parenting youth in foster care in California.
One team from Guam explored ways to support conversations about sensitive topics with middle schoolers, providing cultural insights that are often overlooked in mainland U.S.-based programming. “It’s been fascinating to learn from each team’s local context and tailor our support based on their unique needs,” Efe said.
A large part of Efe's work includes developing and managing youthink’s comprehensive health communications strategy, from writing website content and editing training materials to designing promotional handouts and social media campaigns. She even did the graphic design for many of the materials showcased at SOPHE’s exhibit hall herself.
Discovering a Health Communications Calling
But health communications wasn’t exactly where she began. Efe's early work was rooted in health education and promotion. It was during a case investigation and contact tracing job in Atlanta, Georgia that she discovered her talent for messaging. "I found myself writing email templates for different COVID-19 scenarios, just because I wanted to make sure people were receiving clear and compassionate information," she said. Her supervisors took notice, her informal work was adopted by the team and evolved into a formal skill set.
From there, Efe pursued increasingly complex health communications roles, first at DeKalb Public Health in Georgia and later with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a federal contractor. At DeKalb Public Health, she led health communications campaigns under a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention REACH grant, supported agency-wide communications, revamped the agency’s website, managed contractors, and even wrote a few requests for proposals. At NIH, she focused on blood health initiatives and managed the Blood Health Network — a coalition of over 80 partner organizations — by building relationships with stakeholders, coordinating webinars, creating newsletters, and ensuring collaborative messaging across sectors. "That experience really helped me sharpen my project management and stakeholder engagement skills," she said.
From Empathy and Alignment to Partnerships
Today, Efe brings all of that expertise into her work with youthink. “It’s truly innovation work,” she said, “which means it’s different from more classic public health programming. I’ve had to expand my own skill set, from content development to graphic design, and that truly keeps things interesting.”
Her approach to collaboration is grounded in empathy and alignment. "Before we jump into solutions, we get to know the teams and where they’re coming from—what community they serve, what challenges they’ve faced, and what their goals are. That shared understanding builds trust and sets the tone for real partnership."
The Role of Certification
Efe became CHES-certified in 2019 after researching the credential online and seeing how well it aligned with her interests. “I liked how structured it was, and how it represented a full scope of what health education could be. The competencies gave me a deeper understanding of the field and helped me recognize the value of what I was already doing—and, more importantly, what I could grow into.”
Efe appreciates the continuing education aspect of certification as well. “Having to track what I’m learning makes it so much more intentional. It keeps me accountable for my own professional development.”
Advice for Aspiring Health Communications Specialists
For those looking to transition into health communications, or pivot into any new role, Efe offers grounded, practical advice. “Start by researching roles and organizations that interest you,” she says. “Ask yourself: what skills are they looking for? Is it writing, social media, or graphic design? Then go try your hand at those things. Even small, self-initiated projects can help you grow and demonstrate your skills to potential employers.”
She also encourages informational interviews. “That’s how I got my first health communications role—just reaching out to people on LinkedIn who I admired and asking about their journey. Those types of candid conversations can really open doors.”
She also recommends keeping an eye on professional societies, like the newly formed Society for Health Communication. “Even just joining a listserv and reading the emails can help you understand the field better.”
Efe’s path has been anything but linear, but it’s proof that clarity comes from doing, and that creativity and structure can absolutely coexist in public health. In her hands, health communications isn’t an add-on; it’s a driver of systems-level change.
And with youthink’s next cohort already in the works, she’s excited to see what ideas—and what changemakers—emerge next.
To learn more about youthink Incubator Hub, visit www.youthink.health or email youthink@chla.usc.edu.