Janida Emerson, MSPPM
Chief Executive Officer
Janida received her Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. After graduating she moved to Washington D.C. to work for the US Government Accountability Office on their Health Care team. In 2011 she began working with community health centers in Utah as the Government Affairs Manager with the Association for Utah Community Health. As an advocate for health centers, she worked on issues related to implementation of the Affordable Care Act, workforce loan repayments, and Medicaid. Through her work with AUCH she also began working with the public behavioral health system and developed a passion for working with individuals with addiction and mental illness.
Prior to joining Fourth Street Clinic, Janida served as the Criminal Justice Program Administrator for the Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health and later as Associate Director of Salt Lake County Behavioral Health.
Janida joined Fourth Street Clinic in January 2017 as Chief Operating Officer and was named Chief Executive Officer
in January 2020. her leadership, the clinic has received multiple Quality Recognition Awards from the Health Resources and Services Administration for excellence in patient care and outcomes.
In March 2024, Janida was recognized by Utah Business with a CEO of the Year Award. The following month, YWCA Utah honored her with the 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award as a Community Builder & Champion. She currently serves as Chair of Utah’s Primary Care Association.