Albertha had a dream to study medicine and serve those around her from a very young age, and graduating from nursing school with high honors as the salutatorian. After graduation, Albertha chose to pursue a challenging role as a Community Health Service Supervisor in Gbarpolu County, an exceptionally remote region of rural Liberia. The Community Health Service Supervisors are clinical nurse supervisors that oversee and mentor community health workers. The position is part of Liberia’s historic national community health workforce program, which was founded post-Ebola outbreak to make primary healthcare universal for Liberians living in rural and remote communities. Due to the shortage of Community Health Service Supervisors, Albertha works at two rural health centers, covering 23 communities. She supervises and mentors 11 Community Health Assistants, ranging from a woman in her 20s to men in their 50s and 60s, who work to extend primary health care into their communities across the county. In addition to her work as a nurse supervisor, Albertha also works to support the Community Health Focal Person, a member of the Community Health Team that provides integral linkages to the central Ministry of Health, providing monthly supervision of other nurse supervisors and helps to mentor them.
Albertha contributes to the global health ecosystem through the strengthening of the health of communities via the pillars of skills, supervision, salaries, supplies, and strategy, thereby ensuring patients and communities have access to life-saving care.
In 2019, Albertha was recognized as a Heroine of Health by Women in Global Health. Albertha attended the 72nd World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, where she spoke at 6 different engagements as a panelist, giving the closing remarks of the night, and giving a speech at the Women in Global Health Gala. There, Albertha shared her personal story, including her health career journey and the strengths and challenges of working as a female Community Health Service Supervisor. She gave a call to action about supporting female health workers by committing financial support to community health programs. As a panelist, she shared her first-hand experience supporting community health workers, their performance and functionality. At every opportunity, Albertha connected her work, and that of her Community Health Assistants, to the rest of the primary health care system and the attainment of universal health coverage. Today, Albertha continues to serve as a nurse supervisor in the primary health care system to expand access to quality care for people living in remote communities of Liberia. She raises her voice to call for improvements to community-based primary health care at any opportunity she gets. Albertha is a bold leader in the movement for universal health coverage.