Joia is the founder and president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative and a thought leader around racism as a root cause of health inequities, speaker, trainer, advocate, policy expert, and fighter for justice.
Previously, she served as the executive director of the Birthing Project, Director of Women’s and Children’s Services at Jefferson Community Healthcare Center and as the director of Clinical Services for the City of New Orleans Health Department where she was responsible for four facilities that provided health care for the homeless, pediatric, WIC, and gynecologic services within the New Orleans clinical service area.
A proud recipient of the Congressional Black Caucus Healthcare Hero’s award and the Maternal Health Task Force at Harvard University Global Visionary Award for Commitment to Advancing Women’s Health, Joia is most known for her work to remove Race as a risk factor for illness like premature birth and replacing it with Racism. She currently serves on the Advisory Committee of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Principal at Health Equity Cypher and on the Board of Trustees for the National Medical Association and the New Orleans African American Museum.
A graduate of Princeton University, Joia completed her medical degree at Louisiana State University and her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tulane University’s School of Medicine. She is married to Andre Perry, MD, and has three children: Jade, Carlos, and Robeson.