Jane+Lowe



Jane Isaacs Lowe Team Director, Vulnerable Populations The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Princeton, NJ 08543 609 627-5786 jlowe@rwjf.org twitter; jisaacslowe

Questions about networks and experiments:

I have had a lot experience in creating and working with community partnerships, but minimal experience with networks. I think that there are some commonalities related to structure and engagement in partnerships and networks. Perhaps social media is what now allows for differentiation between a traditional partnership and a network, or transforms partnerships into networks. Some of my questions about networks are: Is there an optimal network size to achieve impact, e.g. can networks be too big? How do we make better use of networks to solve significant social-health problems? How do we measure the effectiveness of networks? When are networks the best strategy to use? What are the pros and cons of on-line networks vs in-person networks?

I am eager to learn from others and begin to experiment with creating one or two networks. The first one involves the creation of a new local funding partnership program using a network approach to identify/source/support innovative ideas and programs that emerge from communities and are designed to improve the health of vulnerable populations. Also, can we use networks to source our most promising programs to local communities. The second potential for network development is to build the field around action oriented solutions to social determinants of health. This would build on our work created under the RWJF Commission to Create a Healthier America.

Brief Bio

The Vulnerable Populations Portfolio is a program group that focuses on how social factors such as poverty, education and housing shape our health. The portfolio supports programs that offer promising solutions for better health where we live, learn, work and play. As the Director of this Portfolio, I work with a team of staff to develop and support investments in social innovations that promote lasting change in the way services are organized and delivered, and demonstrate the potential for widespread replication and national impact. I also oversee programs in the area of mental health, aging, and violence.

Prior to joing the Foundation in 1998, I was a member of the faculty in the School of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania. Earlier in my career//,// I worked at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City where I was a clinical social worker, administrator and faculty member in the medical school's Department of Community Medicine.

I received my BA from Cedar Crest College, where I am currently on the Board of Trustees, my Masters in Social Work from Columbia University and my PhD in social welfare policy from Rutgers University. In my leisure time I enjoy playing the piano and creating pottery--throwing clay and seeing what it becomes is an adventure. I also am a volunteer for our local food pantry.