State delegations of Community Health Center advocates descended on Capitol Hill Thursday to educate lawmakers the value they bring to the U.S. health care system. They traveled to Washington, D.C. from around the country to attend the NACHC P & I. Attendees include clinicians, pharmacists, consumers, nurses, board members in addition to CEOs and anyone who is in the business of running a Community Health Center. These grassroots advocates are the backbone of the Community Health Center Movement and a few of them were honored at the P & I reception with grassroots advocacy awards.
The top “Jose E. Camacho Hall of Fame” grassroots award winners have dedicated themselves to making notable contributions that ensure the survival and strength of health centers. This year’s awardees include Maureen Maxwell, from Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN) and Serena Muñiz, from Union Community Health Center, located in the Bronx, NY.
“Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Award” was established in honor of the late Elizabeth K. (Betsey) Cooke whose constant effort and unflagging persistence as an advocate for health center advocates to follow.
Grassroots Advocacy Winners
Tiffany Bridges, Special Health Resources
Concepcion Camarillo, Hope Clinic
Myrta Garcia, South Texas Rural Health Services
Dena Hughes, Triangle Area Network
Nicole Lamb-Menz, East Texas Community Health Services
Donald Moore, Pueblo Community Health Center
David Preston, Community Healthcare Center
Jamie Reich, Eastern Mennonite University
Andrea Skolkin, OneWorld Community Health Centers, Inc.
Donavan Smith, Wayne Community Health Center
R. Logan Yoho, Hopewell Health Center
Related: View our earlier blog, Homecoming: The Policy & Issues Forum.