Jodie Lynne Neukirch Elliott

Jodie Neukirch Elliott, 39, passed away on August 3, 2022, in Durham, NC.

All who were fortunate enough to know Jodie have been forever changed for the better. Throughout her life, she was defined by so much more than her heart disease—she was a brilliant scholar with two master’s degrees, a talented swing and blues dancer, a compassionate therapist, an artistic quiltmaker, a “heart health hero” recognized nationally at the Woman's Day Red Dress Awards (2010). Jodie’s personal story about the importance of the Affordable Care Act for patients like her with pre-existing conditions was shared by then-presidential nominee Joe Biden (2020) and viewed by more than 115,000 people. She always set her goals high and her dreams even higher, achieving many of those dreams with her boundless energy, ambition and care for others.

Jodie’s legacy will live on through the healthcare programs she led, developed and championed to support children and young adults with chronic medical conditions. Most recently, Jodie worked as a Clinical Social Worker and the Clinical Director of Adolescents Transitioning to Leadership and Success (ATLAS) at Duke University, including managing multiple programs for young adults with chronic health conditions and serving as chair of the Duke University Healthcare Transition Taskforce. These programs—along with the curriculum and methods she developed over the course of her career for peer health coaching and healthcare transition—are nationally recognized and have served as a model for similar programs across the country. Her lasting impact will be felt in the coming years as the thousands of young people and families supported by these programs go out and make the world a better place, as Jodie did. She made countless children with chronic illness believe that they, too, could live fulfilling and meaningful lives, and pursue all their dreams despite the challenges of their health conditions. She was a role model and beacon of light to innumerable patients, colleagues, friends and family members.

Prior to joining the Duke University team in 2017, Jodie worked at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, where she was a Clinical Social Worker and longtime Program Director of The Adolescent Leadership Council (TALC), an award-winning transition-focused program serving dozens of teens with chronic illness, their parents, and college-aged mentors. She received a Promising Practice Award for Promoting Adolescents’ Strengths from the American Academy of Pediatrics (2012) in recognition of her leadership of the TALC program, and a Brite Lite Award from Hasbro Children’s Hospital (2012) for her exceptional patient care. She co-authored numerous academic publications, journal articles and peer-reviewed presentations.

Jodie was a graduate of Dartmouth College (2005), the University of Washington’s Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Pathobiology (2008), and Boston University’s School of Social Work (2015), where she received the Carolyn Jacobs Prize, presented annually to an outstanding graduate student with a commitment to social work practice in health care. Throughout her childhood, Jodie attended Chicago Public Schools, serving as a high school student representative to the Chicago Board of Education.

Jodie is survived by her loving husband, Peter Elliott; father Mark (Lupe) Neukirch and mother April (Wayne) Solomon; parents-in-law Patty and Jay Elliott; brothers Craig (Alexandra) Neukirch and Shaun (Melanie) Neukirch; sisters-in-law Sarah (Mark) Elliott Welch and Catherine (Travis) Elliott Martin; step-siblings Rodolfo (Candace) Hernandez, Louis (Robin) Solomon, Dana Solomon, Allison Solomon, Amanda (Rich) Spizirri, Angela (Scott) Schroeder and Anita LoVerde; grandmother Elaine Neukirch; grandparents-in-law Sally and Ken Gillett and Sue Elliott; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles and extended family.

A memorial will be held at Concordia Church (3855 N. Seeley Avenue) in Chicago on Saturday, August 20. There will be a visitation at 9 a.m. followed by a memorial service from 10-11 a.m. Masks are encouraged at the request of the family.  The memorial will be livestreamed online and recorded for those who are unable to attend. To join virtually visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixU-kfBw84I. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages tax-deductible donations to the newly established Jodie Neukirch Elliott Fund at Duke University, which will ensure the continuation of Jodie’s life’s work and legacy by supporting ATLAS programs for young adults with chronic health conditions and related peer mentorship and leadership programs. The fund will also support the annual prom event Jodie created for adolescent and young adult patients at Duke Children’s Hospital and their families, which will be renamed Jodie’s Prom in her honor.

To donate to the Jodie Neukirch Elliott Fund, please visit https://www.gifts.duke.edu/mem/Elliott.