Our Team
Patricia (Patty) Mechael, PhD, MHS
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Dr. Patricia Mechael is an internationally recognized expert in digital health, AI for health equity, and global health policy. As CEO and co-founder of health.enabled, she leads the organization’s mission to drive whole-person health through inclusive, ethical, and equity-driven technology solutions.
With nearly 30 years of experience in over 45 countries, Patty has advised governments, multilateral agencies, and the private sector on digital transformation strategies, with a focus on gender-intentional approaches as a key strategy to increase health impact, improve governance, and strengthen health systems.
Patty holds faculty appointments at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she co-leads the Digital Health Exemplars research initiative, and serves as a strategic advisor to the Global Health Institute at the American University of Beirut. Previously, she was Executive Director of the mHealth Alliance at the United Nations Foundation and EVP at HIMSS’ Personal Connected Health Alliance.
A recipient of the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Fellowship, the Johns Hopkins Knowledge for the World Award, and the British Council Social Impact Award, Patty is also an award-winning author of middle-grade fiction, which reflects her passion for technology, youth empowerment, public health, and environmental justice.
She has a PhD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she studied health-related uses of mobile phones in Egypt, an MHS in Social and Behavioral Studies from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, and a BA in Near Eastern Studies from Johns Hopkins University.
Erica Layer
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Erica is the Chief Operating Officer at health.enabled, where she leads portfolio management, operations, and strategic partnerships to advance health equity through inclusive digital transformation. She brings over 18 years of experience in digital health, systems strengthening, and technology innovation, with a track record of driving health impact in low- and middle-income countries.
Prior to joining health.enabled, Erica was CEO of D-tree International, where she led national-scale digital health initiatives that strengthened government health systems and improved maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes across East and Southern Africa. Earlier in her career, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa, focusing on community development and health education.
Erica holds an MSPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and has served on the WHO Roster of Experts in Digital Health.
Tara Nutley
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Tara Nutley is an executive leader in public and digital health with over 30 years of experience supporting health programs worldwide. She is a globally recognized expert in translating data for policy and program improvement, health information systems improvement, digital health, and monitoring and evaluation.
Tara is passionate about harnessing the potential of digital technologies for health equity. She is at the forefront of bringing together stakeholders and digital solutions across the data value chain to leverage the power of data for decision making, and has published numerous papers in peer-reviewed journals and developed tools and curricula on these topics. She is a demonstrated leader experienced in strategic planning, business development, thought leadership, and organisational growth.
Prior to joining health.enabled, Tara was a Vice President at Palladium, where she led the Data, Informatics, and Analytical Solutions practice that implemented and managed projects related to digital health, digital information systems, and data analytics. Tara holds an MPH from the Gillings School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina.
Emeka Chukwu
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Dr. Emeka Chukwu is a seasoned digital health professional with over two decades of experience working at the intersection of public health, clinical systems, and technology. He has supported a range of digital health initiatives across multiple countries, contributing to the development of organizational and national digital health strategies, tools, and standards.
Emeka chairs Nigeria’s National Technical Committee (NTC)/ISO mirror Committee on Medical devices, and is a member of other informatics committees. He holds a PhD in Technical Interoperability from the University of Malta, a MSc degree in Information Systems Management from the University of Liverpool, and an Engineering degree.
Yara Aboelwaffa
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Yara Aboelwaffa is a global health and digital innovation professional with a background in the pharmaceutical industry and over 14 years of experience, driving system-level transformation through data-driven strategies, scalable tech-enabled solutions, and impactful public-private partnerships.
Her expertise lies in the co-design, scale-up, and governance of national public health technologies, advancing inclusive digital ecosystems and private sector engagement in low- and middle-income settings.
Currently serving as Senior Digital Health Advisor at health.enabled and Honorary Associate Researcher at the University of Cambridge, Yara leads research and advisory work on sustainable digital transformation and innovative partnership frameworks.
Sarah Chaney
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As a Research Analyst at health.enabled, Sarah translates research, evidence, and experiences into actionable guidance on the effective and equitable use of digital health tools and applications.
She supports the coordination, management, and monitoring of multi-country initiatives and is the lead writer and contributor to technical briefs, landscape reviews, and practical implementation guides.
Sarah is a public health and insect science professional with over 20 years of experience in a variety of countries and sectors. Her passion for public health began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, where she led HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs in a rural community.
She holds an MPH from the George Washington University and a MSc in Entomology from the University of Florida.
Olivia Drouhaut
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Olivia Drouhaut is a communications and international development strategist specializing in digital health, health financing, and equity-driven partnerships to strengthen health systems across emerging markets. At health.enabled, she focuses on cross-sector business development, AI, and health financing strategies for digital health initiatives.
Her public health and international development experience includes work at Helen Keller International, the United States’ State Department, and the World Bank, focusing on neglected tropical diseases, health financing, and sanitation.
She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mozambique under the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHUCCP), leading malaria and HIV prevention initiatives and training community health workers in data collection and GIS mapping with Open Street Maps.
Olivia holds an Executive Master's in International Service with a focus on Development and Public Health from American University and a BA in Communications Studies from Pace University, with additional studies in Mandarin Chinese at Suzhou University and Xiamen University in China.