October 2026 – This month, we’re getting to know Health Data Analyst Sophia Shaw, MPH, a familiar face and trusted resource for many of our APCD clients. Sophia has been with Onpoint for more than four years and has been a crucial member of teams supporting longtime Onpoint clients, including Minnesota, Rhode Island, Washington, and Blueprint for Health in Vermont. In addition, Sophia has played a leading role in some of Onpoint’s most ambitious analytics projects, including an annual report on hospital spending in Virginia and our cross-client initiative, Collective Impact, which leverages data from multiple states to explore a common issue, most recently behavioral health. In her role, Sophia combines her deep understanding of claims data, a preternatural knack for problem-solving, and endless curiosity about the needs and challenges of our clients.

Lightning Round

Describe yourself in 3 words.
Inquisitive, passionate, driven.

Coffee or tea?
Coffee.

Cats or dogs?
Cats!

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
I would want to predict the future.

What’s your go-to karaoke song?
“Give Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman, or really anything Tracy Chapman.

If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Pasta – you can do a lot of different things with pasta.

About Yourself 

Tell us a bit about yourself. What do you like to do outside of work? Any hobbies or hidden talents that your team might not know about? 
I’m an open book about my hobbies. I love to garden. I’m very creative, so I like crafts and any type of creative outlet. I knit, so recently I finished a hat. I also like planning trips. Sometimes I feel like I plan a trip and I never know if I’m going to go on it. I really like exploring different cities and planning different itineraries. I also love to cook. I like to make a lot of fusion dishes.

How would you describe your role? What skills do you rely on most?
What I like about my role is I get to hear a lot about different projects happening with different clients. Something I like to bring to the table is problem solving and using what I’ve learned from other state analytic projects to bring anecdotal experiences to new projects to help them succeed.

What are some highlights of your work – both in your role and with your team?  
I really like the client-facing aspect of our analytic work. It’s important for me to hear how our data is being used and how Onpoint can help “move the needle.” I like hearing the priorities of different states. Healthcare is a common challenge, but it’s interesting to see what priorities predominate with different clients and different regions.

About Working at Onpoint

Why did you decide to work for Onpoint?  
At the time, I wanted to work at Onpoint because I liked that it was a small company based in Maine. It’s been really fascinating to see how we’ve grown and how growth has allowed us to pursue projects and contracts we would not have probably thought possible before.

What do you enjoy most about working at Onpoint? 
It’s very unique that you are surrounded by so many people you can learn something from. I’m constantly sharing ideas and hearing ideas from other people. I’m learning something everyday from my peers. And I trust everyone – I know that work will be done as well as possible, even if there are challenges.

What excites you most about the company’s future? 
I like that we are diversifying our projects and we’ve taken what we’ve learned as APCD vendors and we’re trying to apply that to different markets. I’m excited to see the work we’ll continue to do in the value-based care space.

About Growth & Teamwork

What’s a new skill or lesson you’ve learned on the job that has helped you grow?
Staying calm in the face of challenges. We work with a lot of different stakeholders – clients as well as other groups (health plans, data users) – and you need to consider those perspectives but keep your eye on the ultimate goal. What’s something that could be a win for everyone?

What advice would you give to someone just starting in your field?
I would say, stay curious. Especially with claims data, there are no bad questions and you will learn by asking them and questioning what’s in front of you and interrogating results.

How do teamwork and collaboration play a role in your day-to-day work?
Teamwork is two-fold to Onpoint. We have teams internally – we have people who are more senior who I look to for their foresight. I also like the teamwork we have with our clients, especially clients who are interested in approaching new projects and collaborating. I like that shared space that can exist when we both bring our ideas to the table. The Collective Impact project, for example, has been so collaborative. Internally, we have to keep pace and keep the project on course and make decisions, but we’re hearing constant feedback from our state partners with things they’ve learned from their own projects. To have all that support this shared work is great.

For more information about Sophia, connect with her on LinkedIn!