Titanium Industry Pioneers: An Interview with Joy Altimare

Joy Altimare answers to many names – mom, friend, partner, advocate – but Monday through Friday from nine to five her primary title is Chief Revenue Officer at EHE Health. Although her path to her current role is untraditional, her passion for her work is undeniable. In college Joy set out to become a doctor, but she switched majors after falling in love with advertising and the concept of using marketing tactics to change behavior. 

After over a decade of working in marketing on the agency and client side, Joy joined EHE Health and has been there since. Combining her enthusiasm and experience has unlocked a new strategy for driving revenue within EHE. Joy is at the hub of an ever-changing healthcare industry in a constantly evolving world, but her commitment to creating lasting change in both the healthcare and DEI landscape is enduring. 

We sat down with Joy to learn more about her career and her life, but also to understand her perspective on the importance of diversity as a woman of color in the healthcare industry.  

Can you tell us about your work at EHE Health and the significance of preventative healthcare services?

EHE Health has been around for 109 years and is dedicated to preventative health. The work we do has always been important, but the pandemic really heightened the importance of it. We work with large self-insured employers to make sure that preventive healthcare is accessible to every employee in the country. Our goal is that all employees in America are getting preventive health exams. We’re really focused on first getting you into those exams and from there making sure you have a plan around your health navigation. The pandemic made at-risk groups even more vulnerable and made the work we do so crucial. 

Can you tell us about your career journey and your path to Chief Revenue Officer?

For the first 12 years of my career, I worked at agencies like Publicis and Ogilvy, as well as some amazing niche agencies like Burrell and Carol H. Williams. I had experience in both mass/general market and niche/ethnic markets. This laid the foundation for me to understand the strategic nuances that come with talking to communities that are not monolithic, which is super important for my role now. I shifted to the corporate side working for Condé Nast and then Equinox. Shortly thereafter I found myself in the healthcare industry, and I’ve never looked back. 

I think healthcare and education are both in the beginning stages of learning how to live in the age of digital transformation. As both a mom and the daughter of aging parents, the most important things I talk about right now are healthcare and education. I’m really living in the world I’m trying to curate for my daughter and my parents. 

I started at EHE six years ago as VP of Marketing. Overtime I started to fall in love with this business and realized there was an opportunity to apply what I learned in marketing to  ultimately save lives. We are all about data design here. The products we design give us insight into a patient's behavior so we can change it. I come from this non-healthcare environment where I understand different [engagement and marketing] tools, and I apply them into the healthcare environment. I merged the two worlds I knew, which drove more revenue and ultimately landed me in my current position as more of an operator. I started in advertising doing strategic work, and now I'm on the corporate side doing strategic work. Which just goes to show you if you enjoy what you do, there’s no title you can be constrained to. 

I know every day is different, but what is a day in the life of Joy Altimare? 

First and foremost, I’m a believer. So, I start every day off with a strong meditation. Because I’m a partner, mom, daughter, and a good friend, I need to give some time to myself to be able to give to others. I get up and have my moment, get my daughter up, feed her, take her to school and then I run – literally run -  home. Once I finally get to the office, my calendar is booked until 6:30pm. 

I don't work at all between 6:30 and 8:30 because that’s family time for me. I think carving out that personal time is super important for everyone, no matter what age you are. 

We’ve talked through your career history and how you got to where you are, but we’d love to can you tell us a key lesson you learned along the way?

One of the things I learned early in life is people take bad news better when you tell them early and tell them the whole truth. If it’s bad news or good news, be transparent and be quick. People are making decisions based on this information. 

You’ve worn many hats throughout your career, one of which is being huge champion for DEI. Why is that of personal significance to you?

As a black woman in her 40’s, I’ve seen and lived a lot, so if it wasn’t important to me, I don't know how far I would’ve gotten. I think it’s something I’ve always been super aware of--I went to an all-girls school in Tennessee where there were only 28 students of color out of 600. I, along with others, wanted to create a Black student union at my school, so at a very young age I had to justify to my peers why it was important to have a safe space and a place of belonging. I think DEI has really been at the cornerstone of how I've been nurtured. In my corporate job, it's definitely the lens of how I recruit, retain and challenge my colleagues. It would be counter to my personal beliefs if I didn't think about those who are behind me. If my daughter is fighting for equal pay when she’s 40, then I have failed her. 

So many companies are starting to implement DEI practices, what’s your advice for helping them get it right?

It’s tricky. I’m happy there's a spotlight on DEI, but I hope it doesn't dim in a few years. It’s not just about people who look like me, it’s also about those people on the other side who are advocating. I can't advocate in a room I’m not invited to. That’s so important for people to recognize. All these internal initiatives like workshops are necessary, but they’re not sufficient on their own. Everything needs to be analyzed, from doing an audit around salaries to ensuring everyone is getting equitable pay to analyzing how HR is recruiting talent. If you’re serious about DEI, it needs to have a direct line into the CEO so it can align with the company’s vision. 

Healthcare is a space where there are alot disparities, and social determinants of health have a major impact on access to care. What are you doing to make a difference in that space?

The longer I’m in healthcare, the more opportunity I realize there is. My goal is to have a voice across the entire spectrum of health. People always point to social determinants of health as the main contributor to health disparities, but there’s instances where money can't affect change. Serena Williams almost died giving birth, and she can afford proper healthcare. I want to change the way healthcare treats women and people of color. We should be looking at inner city programs and figuring out how we can reduce food deserts by bringing in fresh fruits and veggies while talking about how urban cities need access to sports other than basketball. It starts with education at the physician level and below, but how can you pull it through big pharma as well? We’re fighting an unknown. We’re fighting a philosophy. We need to deconstruct it so we can put it back in a place where it's equitable for everyone.

How do we do a better job of meeting people where they are?

It's exactly what Titanium stands for. You must first have empathy for where people are. You must start from a place of empathy, so you can even ask the right questions. How do we bring this community in? We know the tactics, we know the steps. In some cases, that means demonstrating ROI to the executive team. It’s taking everything we know and being dedicated to the business of changing behavior. I’m in the business of changing behavior both on the marketing and the healthcare side. Meeting people where they are is not forcing them to change but having the patience and time to explain to them what's important. 

Now let’s talk about you; what inspires you?

I mean you probably could’ve guessed it: my daughter. She’s a little 7-year-old spitfire. She inspires me every day. It’s so funny because we look at children and we see their promise, but they also look at us with promise. I’m also inspired by my team and the work we’ve done during COVID. We worked around the clock to come up with solutions to keep people healthy. I’m always overwhelmed by how much they trust me and trust themselves to lead. 

What’s your go-to mantra?

“If you don't like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou

What’s one book you would recommend?

Children’s books are the best lessons, so I would always recommend going back and rereading children’s books to learn lessons. I would also recommend We are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza. 

If you could have dinner with one person, who would it be and why?

Michelle Obama, for sure. She’s the perfect combination of serious and silly. We could talk about politics and what’s going on in the country, but she’d also let her hair down. I would want to talk to her about so many things and get her perspective on what it was like to be the first family in the white house. 

Any final words of wisdom?

I’d say life is a journey and go at your own pace. Wisdom comes in time, so don't feel bad if you have to learn a lesson more than once. Stay focused on your journey and don't compare yourself to other people. Growing up I was a swimmer, and my dad always used to tell me when you look at another swimmer you lose time. I’ve brought that metaphor through life with me.