Monique LaRocque, M.P.H.
Senior Advisor for Community Partnerships, Canyon Ranch Institute
Monique LaRocque has more than a decade of experience in public health, health communication, minority health, cancer, community relations, and partnership development. Her passion is developing communications efforts and strategic partnerships that effectively bridge science, public health, and community engagement to improve health and wellness.
Monique applies her experience and commitment to underserved communities, prevention, and health and wellness through collaborative community partnerships as senior advisor for community partnerships to Canyon Ranch Institute, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Canyon Ranch Institute catalyzes the possibility of optimal health for all people by translating the best practices of Canyon Ranch and its partners to help educate, inspire, and empower every person to prevent disease and choose a life of wellness.
Monique is based in the Washington, D.C., office of Feinstein Kean Healthcare, where she serves as a vice president, and supports Canyon Ranch Institute's East Coast community relations efforts as well as developing and implementing strategies to eliminate health disparities.
Prior to this work, Monique served as the communications and public health advisor for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH). At OMH, she coordinated national health campaigns and initiatives, co-developed the OMH media and communications strategy, managed multimillion dollar communications contracts, co-led the OMH website development, supported the management of the OMH Resource Center, wrote speeches and briefings for HHS leadership, and advised on health and scientific communications. As part of her work at OMH, Monique helped to raise awareness about the significant disparities experienced by racial and ethnic minority communities and managed several disease prevention and health promotion initiatives. In addition, Monique co-led the partnership development efforts for HHS health campaigns through OMH, recruiting more than 550 national, state, and local community and faith-based organizations to partner and plan health promotion activities nationwide. Monique also helped to provide strategic counsel and minority outreach to support a National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism college awareness and underage binge drinking prevention effort.
Monique has received accolades for her work on health, especially for her work in underserved communities. She was nominated for and selected to be a Presidential Management Fellow, part of a prestigious leadership and management program that led to her work on several high-level government projects. Monique supported public health and health communications efforts as a fellow in the Office of the United States Surgeon General, the HHS Office of Global Health Affairs, the HHS Regional Director's Office, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Region II Office.
Monique is a native New Yorker and a graduate of New York University. She earned a Master's in public health degree from the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services where she was inducted in Delta Omega, an honorary society in public health. She also completed short courses and a certificate program in the Dominican Republic and South Africa on reproductive and community health, HIV/AIDS and STDs, quality health assurance, and health care reform. Monique enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, learning about diverse cultures, and collaborating with underserved communities to uplift all people.