Client Results

Real Results from Integrated Health System Partnerships

What Clients Say About Working with MJ4Health

I have known Maryjane for nearly 20 years through our work advancing women's health in California and have long recognized her as an innovator. Her research with Latina women through the California Family Health Council helped providers better understand patient needs and was later published by the March of Dimes. She has also been a leading advocate for youth health, developing a statewide Youth Health Initiative and helping lay the foundation for California's peer-to-peer health movement. Maryjane's ability to combine research, community engagement, and youth empowerment continues to drive meaningful change. — Dr. Diana E. Ramos, MD, MPH, MBA | California Surgeon General

I have worked with Maryjane for more than 15 years. She is a visionary change-maker for student health and wellbeing. She has a deep understanding of the school health landscape and uses these insights to find win-win solutions that elevate a school health system for all. She brings systems-thinking, tireless advocacy, and a passion for investing in our youth. With her help, we have successfully obtained grant funding for multiple research projects demonstrating the impact of school-based oral health, school-based health centers, and school behavioral health services. She has been an outstanding partner in the work, helping ensure our research reflects reality and that results reach those working at all levels (from students to schools, clinics, and system leaders) and inform action.  — Rebecca Dudovitz, MD, MSHS | Professor of Pediatrics | Chief, Division of General Pediatrics | Director of Health Services Research, Department of Pediatrics | David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Working alongside Maryjane Puffer during her time at The L.A. Trust was an incredible experience. Together, while I was working with the LA County Department of Mental Health, we helped develop the Youth Ambassador Program focused on mental health awareness and engagement for LAUSD youth. Mary Jane brought deep compassion, strategic thinking, and a genuine commitment to creating opportunities for young people to have a voice and feel supported.

Her ability to build meaningful partnerships and keep youth-centered values at the forefront made a lasting impact on the program’s development. I truly appreciated her collaborative spirit, professionalism, and dedication to improving mental health outcomes for young people and communities. — Gita Murthy | President | Gita Murthy.com

I have collaborated with Maryjane for more than a decade to advance children's health across Los Angeles County. She is a passionate advocate and has helped expand school-based dental healthcare while demonstrating a deep understanding of how unmet health needs impact academic performance, physical development, and overall well-being… Maryjane combines clinical expertise with a rare ability to use data to drive meaningful change. Through initiatives such as the Data xChange platform, she has helped document the link between health challenges and chronic absenteeism and quantify the impact of school-based health services... I recommend Maryjane Puffer without hesitation. She is a national leader and influential voice in advancing comprehensive, coordinated, high-quality healthcare for children in schools. — Steve Higginbotham | President and CEO | Smile America Partners

I've worked with Maryjane since 2011 and have seen firsthand her ability to turn vision into action. As we developed LAUSD's wellness initiative, she brought passion, expertise, research, and a commitment to listening to the communities we served. Together, the initiative grew from 12 Wellness Centers to 20 and counting, supported by the Data xChange platform she created to demonstrate measurable impact and sustain funder engagement. Maryjane is a tireless advocate and believer in expanding opportunity and removing barriers for children and families, and her work continues to make a lasting difference. — Monica Garcia | Former School Board Member, LAUSD

Maryjane Puffer is a California leader in the integration of education and health. She understands the critical need to integrate health and education agencies to support our children, youth, families, and future most effectively. She is a leader in developing concrete state and local partnerships, programs, and technologies to serve the whole child and family. Maryjane has been an extraordinary partner to Breaking Barriers as we work to break barriers to care for our children and families, and we look forward to ongoing efforts with her as our work progresses. — Elizabeth Estes, Esq. | Founder & Director | Breaking Barriers California | Clinical Professor of Public Policy, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law

i have known and worked with Maryjane in the peer-to-peer space for many years. Her dedication to the well-being of young people is unwavering, and she shows them a level of respect that adults do not often demonstrate. She has deep expertise in understanding how to reach young people and is both responsive and engaging. I have genuinely enjoyed working with her to build peer support programs across California. — Belinda Rolichek