Dr. Joyce Dixon Hightower

Dr. Joyce Dixon Hightower writes to inspire others in the practical living out of truth. Christian beliefs. Her writings reflect her love of music, different cultures, and worldwide travel. She draws lessons from her experience as an international medical provider, consultant, school teacher, and single mother of three. She now enjoys being Grandma, a public speaker and director of overseas projects for orphans and widows.

Joyce Hightower retired from medical practice in 2023. Before retiring, she held the position of Associate Medical Director, Immediate Care for a sizeable FHQ group in California until 2021. She worked with WHO for seven years prior to improving health care quality. In addition, she served as Project Manager for African Region African Partnerships for Patient Safety with activities in 22 African countries.

Joyce was born in the USA but has spent much of her time living in Africa. He began her journey as a student in Tunisia and taught science in secondary school for seven years in Kenya. Then, she returned to California, attended Medical school, and practiced Family Medicine for seven years before becoming the manager of an Industrial Medicine Clinic and Urgent Care specialist.

During this time, annual medical missions to various countries brought her to an international role in health care improvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition, she worked in multiple capacities and began an orphanage project, which remains active. This vast experience at the local level in English and French-speaking African countries, combined with her passion, knowledge, and training in the Western realm, marks the particular brand of effectiveness Joyce brings to her work.

During the EBOLA pandemic response, Joyce spent time in Mali in 2014 and then went to Guinea for 10 months in 2015, where she was the lead in the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) effort for WHO and The leader of the consortium of IPC health partners with 12 months in the field. The activities in Guinea served for an effective response as well as to lay the groundwork for resilience, with standards and actions to establish quality interventions, planning, concepts, and training and evaluations.

Joyce focused from June 2016 to July 2018 as a consultant to provide technical support to the WHO HQ/SDS/QHC unit to strengthen health systems, focusing on improving health security functions, “Improving Health Security through Health Systems Strengthening,” Emergency Response Preparedness.