An Interview with Editor in Chief, Columba Quigley, MD
Great companies are made up of great people. Here at Jumo Health, our most valuable resource is our team. We are a collective of medical folk, product people, designers, and storytellers that share a common goal to change health care today. Through our We Are Jumo Health series, we will introduce you to the dedicated people who are the heartbeat of Jumo Health.
This month, we’d like you to meet Columba Quigley, MD, Editor in Chief of Jumo Health. Columba has been a member of our team for nine years. Her expertise and wisdom has proven invaluable not only to the work we create, but also to her colleagues who seek her guidance. Meet Columba!
What led you to Jumo Health?
My background is in medicine and I worked as a hospital-based physician for many years. Over that time, I became increasingly interested in the language of medicine, in how we communicate stories of illness, and also the gap that seems to exist between “medical jargon” and a patient’s understanding. Initially, I studied the language of illness from an academic perspective, becoming a humanities scholar in the field. One of the areas I was specifically interested in was the world of graphic medicine — the power of that specific visual and verbal format to uniquely communicate stories of illness.
What is your favorite part about working at Jumo Health?
What we achieve: making the confusing less so for a potentially vulnerable audience; who I work with: an amazing team that is both creative and compassionate, and fueled by a similar passion.
What motivates you?
The belief that I might be helping those who are ill and at the same time confused and anxious about their medical condition and what they might be facing. Also, I believe that “knowledge is power” and if we can help people understand their illness and why they need to comply with prescribed treatment regimes, then their clinical outcome may actually significantly improve.
What is your proudest achievement at Jumo Health?
Increased focus on health literacy. By working to ensure that our resources are truly literacy sensitive and truly accessible to and understandable by our target audience.
What are you most excited about for the future of Jumo Health?
Having witnessed the company achieve so much over the past years, I am really excited about its potential to realize even more achievements in the health care space.
If you could do any other job for one day, what would it be and why?
Be a concert pianist. Because it might transport even one audience member to a place of (albeit transient) sublime joy.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned in the last five years?
Humility.
Finish this sentence, I am happiest when…
I happen upon random and unexpected moments of joy.
If you want to learn more about Columba, you can connect with her on LinkedIn. Want to work for Jumo Health? Check out our career opportunities!
Jumo Health develops age-appropriate, culturally relevant, and relatable educational resources for patients and caregivers. We have experience serving diverse populations, covering more than 160 health topics across 80+ countries in 120+ languages. Our various digital, video, and print offerings use highly visual elements and research-backed health literacy strategies to ensure that everyone can understand and act upon complex medical information. We do this through familiar mediums – from comic books and animation, to virtual reality experiences and authentic documentary-style patient stories – all customized based on audience. Jumo Health collaborates globally with more than 180 advocacy groups and community organizations to promote access and to ensure unique patient experiences are accurately represented.
