{"id":7638,"date":"2025-02-01T09:06:39","date_gmt":"2025-02-01T14:06:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/?p=7638"},"modified":"2025-02-03T09:16:57","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T14:16:57","slug":"from-dreams-of-sports-to-a-new-vision-in-healthcare-joanna-newmans-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/2025\/02\/from-dreams-of-sports-to-a-new-vision-in-healthcare-joanna-newmans-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"From Dreams of Sports to a New Vision in Healthcare: Joanna Newman\u2019s Journey\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JoannaJoanna Newman\u2019s story is one of evolving dreams, boundless enthusiasm, and a knack for embracing change. From aspiring sports executive to key figure in healthcare administration, her journey reflects her versatility and her commitment to balancing professional growth with personal fulfillment.<\/em><\/p>\n

From the Pool to the Sidelines\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Joanna was a self-described “little fish,” spending her summers in the pool as a swimmer and water polo player. Her love of water even inspired childhood dreams of becoming a marine biologist. But sports always had her heart.<\/p>\n

With parents who bled Carolina blue, Joanna was raised on a steady diet of UNC basketball and football games. It\u2019s no surprise that her first professional dream was to work with a college sports team. \u201cI went to undergrad for Communications because I had this big dream,\u201d she says. And she made that dream a reality, landing roles with the UNC football and athletics business offices.<\/p>\n

Chasing (and Redefining) the Dream\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Joanna\u2019s ambition took her to the University of Georgia, where she earned a master\u2019s degree in sports management while interning with the athletic hospitality program. But as life often does, her path took an unexpected turn. After moving to Charlotte and working in basketball administration at UNC Charlotte, she questioned her dream’s long-term viability.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized that college athletics demands a time commitment, being always on call, and frequent travel,\u201d Joanna reflects. With her engagement, a desire to start a family, and her mother\u2019s Alzheimer\u2019s diagnosis, she decided to shift gears and return to her roots in Chapel Hill.<\/p>\n

Finding a New Passion\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2021, Joanna transitioned to healthcare administration, joining UNC Radiology. Initially unsure about the field, she quickly found her stride, supported by her mentor, Paul Marini. Over time, her role evolved into Program Coordinator, supporting senior leadership and overseeing department initiatives.<\/p>\n

\n

“Joanna has been an invaluable asset to our department since she joined us three and a half years ago,\u201d says Dan Bouton, UNC Radiology Associate Chair for Administration. \u201cHer curiosity, eagerness to take on new challenges, and exceptional attention to detail have consistently contributed to numerous successes during her time with us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Blair
(L to R) Blair Allan, Dan Boughton, Maureen Kohi, and Joanna Newman posing for the camera together.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Joanna describes her role as \u201corganizing leadership efforts,\u201d emphasizing her adaptability and willingness to learn. I like to think of myself as a jack of all trades,\u201d she says enthusiastically.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cJoanna is a delight to work with; she is smart and driven while bringing fun and energy to every task,\u201d says Lauren Burke, UNC Radiology Executive Vice Chair.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Her experience in healthcare administration has inspired her to pursue further growth. Joanna is fully committed to her new career path with plans to start a certificate program in healthcare administration at UNC\u2019s Gillings School of Public Health in 2025.<\/p>\n

Life Outside of Work\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Joanna<\/strong>Joanna\u2019s world revolves around her family. She, her husband Jacob, and their two children love exploring the Triangle\u2019s restaurants, parks, and museums. Their favorite summer tradition? A week at Emerald Isle, a ritual they\u2019ve cherished for the past decade.<\/p>\n

Joanna\u2019s love of adventure extends beyond North Carolina. If she had a superpower, it would be teleportation: \u201c100%. Go to all the cool places.\u201d<\/p>\n

A True Enthusiast\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one word to describe Joanna, it\u2019s enthusiastic<\/strong>. Whether she\u2019s diving into her career, family life, or favorite pastime of watching documentaries on inspiring figures like Michael Jordan, Joanna approaches everything with energy and positivity.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cJoanna is an awesome colleague,\u201d says Sheerah Coe, UNC Radiology Communications Manager. \u201cShe is kind, helpful, and supportive, not to mention she always has a smile on her face. It\u2019s a great day when I get the chance to connect and work with Joanna on projects.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Her advice to her younger self reflects this outlook: \u201cDon\u2019t be so fixated on one thing or the little things. Take things as they come and be open to new experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lights, Camera, Joanna\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Joanna<\/b><\/p>\n

If Joanna\u2019s life were a movie, Jennifer Lawrence would star as the leading lady, capturing her mix of determination, warmth, and humor. The title? “Joanna Newman: Live from Above.”\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Through it all, Joanna\u2019s favorite thing isn\u2019t her impressive career trajectory or her knack for reinvention\u2014it\u2019s her family. Her journey may have taken unexpected turns, but it\u2019s clear she\u2019s exactly where she\u2019s meant to be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Joanna Newman\u2019s story is one of evolving dreams, boundless enthusiasm, and a knack for embracing change. From aspiring sports executive to key figure in healthcare administration, her journey reflects her versatility and her commitment to balancing professional growth with personal fulfillment. From the Pool to the Sidelines\u00a0 Joanna was a self-described “little fish,” spending her … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83776,"featured_media":7648,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[83,91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department-news","category-homepage-news","odd"],"acf":[],"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2025\/02\/Evans-Joanna_1A4A9148-scaled.jpg","featured_image_medium":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2025\/02\/Evans-Joanna_1A4A9148-300x200.jpg","featured_image_medium_large":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2025\/02\/Evans-Joanna_1A4A9148-768x512.jpg","featured_image_large":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2025\/02\/Evans-Joanna_1A4A9148-1024x683.jpg","featured_image_thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2025\/02\/Evans-Joanna_1A4A9148-150x150.jpg","featured_image_alt":"Joanna Newman headshot. A female with long brown hair and green eyes is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a long-sleeve v-neck black dress.","category_details":[{"name":"Department News","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/category\/department-news\/"},{"name":"Homepage News","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/category\/homepage-news\/"}],"tag_details":[],"_links_to":[],"_links_to_target":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83776"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7638\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}