CHESHIRE – Monday, May 22, 2017 – After 20 years of leadership at the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut (CHCACT) – during which time membership has doubled and hundreds of thousands of people each year have gained access to affordable, quality health care – Evelyn Barnum announced today she will retire as Chief Executive Officer effective this November. A national search is now underway to find Ms. Barnum’s successor, said CHCACT Board Chair Hon. James H. Maloney.
CHCACT is the professional association that represents 16 of the state’s 17 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), community health centers which provide primary, dental and behavioral health care to more than 376,000 Connecticut residents each year, many of whom otherwise cannot afford quality health care.
Ms. Barnum expressed her confidence in CHCACT’s future, saying, “CHCACT will continue on the same upwards trajectory thanks to our engaged, dynamic Board of Directors who are deeply committed to finding ways to improve access to health care for all Connecticut residents. I am grateful for their years of support, and know that when my successor is hired, the mission of CHCACT and our member FQHCs – providing quality and affordable care to every patient seen – will remain as focused as ever.”
“Evelyn Barnum’s legacy at CHCACT has been her outstanding ability to keep the organization constantly modernizing and moving forward to meet the dynamic needs of its member FQHCs,” said Mr. Maloney, who also serves as President and CEO of the Connecticut Institute For Communities (CIFC), an FQHC headquartered in Danbury. “Under Ms. Barnum’s leadership, we were able to focus on strengthening our FQHC network of providers all across the state.”
“During Evelyn’s tenure at CHCACT, we have collaborated to create a strong foundation for joint initiatives to improve the health status of the individuals we serve,” said Sylvia Kelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Health Network of Connecticut. “We have greatly appreciated her participation on our Board of Directors, as well, and look forward to continuing the work to which she dedicated her career.”
During her time at CHCACT, Ms. Barnum’s focus has continually been on adapting the roles and resources of member FQHCs to meet the needs of an increasing patient base. Those efforts include playing a key role leading FQHCs in 15 states in the Northeast through the National Health Disparities Collaborative, as well as running the only FQHC-centric Practice Transformation Network funded by CMS as part of the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative, a national initiative with 29 grantees across the country that seeks to transform the way health care is provided and promote better quality care.
“Thanks to Evelyn Barnum’s dedication to the people served by community health centers in Connecticut, the state has become a national model in administering quality, affordable care to its citizens. She has helped to raise the bar for all of us in the industry,” said Dan Hawkins, Senior Vice President of the National Association of Community Health Centers.
In searching for Ms. Barnum’s success, the Board has engaged the services of a well-respected search firm, ZurickDavis. An online version of the position specification is available at www.www.chcact.org/jobs.
Contact
Dan Tapper
Sullivan & LeShane Public Relations, Inc.
860-560-0001 (Office)
860-573-4236 (Mobile)
dtapper@ctpr.com
