For Lisa Little, service has always been more than a job, it’s a calling.
As a nurse with two decades of experience, Lisa brings her clinical expertise and deep compassion to her role at the Health Care Authority (HCA), while also volunteering her time around the world to provide medical relief after disasters.
A career built on care
Lisa is a nurse consultant and program manager on HCA’s Clinical Quality and Care Transformation (CQCT) team. She manages several complex programs, including the Transhealth program, as well as home health, hospice, and therapy services.
At HCA, Lisa’s work blends clinical insight with systems-level impact. She helps develop policy, manages billing guides and fee schedules, oversees authorizations, and collaborates closely with stakeholders.
Service beyond Washington state
Alongside her work at HCA, Lisa has dedicated more than a decade to volunteer disaster relief efforts with Heart to Heart International, beginning after the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. She notes, “That first deployment to Haiti really shaped my path.”
Since then, she has served in places including the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and multiple U.S. states, often deploying for two weeks or longer at a time.
Lisa’s most recent deployment in late 2025 took her to Jamaica following a hurricane. For the first time, she was part of the first wave of responders. “I usually go a little later in the deployment. This time it was more intense and higher need,” Lisa shares.
Meeting people where they are
In the weeks following a disaster, the medical needs Lisa sees are often not dramatic injuries, but quiet emergencies that come from disruption. “People realize their medications were washed away…blood pressure meds, diabetes meds, and it’s been weeks. That’s when health issues start showing up.” She also sees a significant need for behavioral health support.
That human connection is what stays with her the most. “We’re all comfortable in our day-to-day lives, and then you go somewhere where the infrastructure was fragile even before the disaster. Everyone has the same basic needs.”
The support that makes it possible
Disaster relief work is rewarding, but it can also be emotionally heavy. Lisa recalls moments where the full impact didn’t hit until after the crisis had passed.
“In the moment, you’re just dealing with it. But afterward…I hadn’t even gotten five feet away before I could feel tears in my eyes.”
What helps her process those moments are the strong support system she has, both among fellow volunteers and her wife at home.
“All of the volunteers are amazing. The debriefing, the relationships, that’s what helps you get through it.”
She credits her wife as essential to making this work possible.
“I couldn’t do it without her. We have a child, we have a restaurant, and she takes care of everything while I’m gone and supports me when I get back.”
Advice for others who want to give back
For HCA staff or community members interested in volunteering, Lisa encourages you to start with what truly matters to you.
“Figure out what your niche is, what you’re passionate about. If it’s in your heart, the hard parts won’t matter.”
She also emphasizes the importance of local service. “Starting locally is really the best way to go. Helping in your own community and seeing that impact is so important.”
Through her work at HCA and her service around the world, Lisa shows how public service, compassion, and commitment to equity can make a difference, both close to home and far beyond Washington state.
Visit Heart to Heart International to learn more about how to support health programs that save lives and deliver aid in communities both locally and globally.