Alexandria, VA, Nov. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To highlight the important work being done across the country to provide
affordable, accessible health care to the medically underserved, the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) has
partnered with the CVS Health Foundation, a private charitable organization created by CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), to present the
Safety Net Health Care Champion Awards.
These awards recognize individuals and organizations who through their actions have made an extraordinary impact in the Free and
Charitable Clinic and Charitable Pharmacy community.
“The CVS Health Foundation applauds the 2018 Safety Net Health Care Champion awardees. Because of the work done by these champions,
and so many free and charitable clinics across the country, more Americans are able to get access to the quality, convenient and
affordable healthcare they deserve,” said Eileen Howard Boone, President of the CVS Health Foundation. “We are proud to be a
longtime supporter of NAFC, who is helping us deliver on our purpose of helping people on their path to better health.”
The winners of the 2018 Safety Net Health Care Champion Awards are:
- Stephanie Garris – Stephanie Garris is the CEO of Grace Medical Home in Orlando, Florida. Stephanie is
a constant advocate for the medically underserved at a local, state and national level. Under Stephanie’s leadership, Grace has
been able to grow from a small, start-up medical home with a handful of staff to an organization with 31 staff and hundreds of
physician and student volunteers who have served 4,000 of their uninsured neighbors with more than 11,000 patient visits
annually, totaling an offered value of care of more than $20,000,000.
- Martin Hiller – Martin (Marty) Hiller has devoted over 40 years to serving Free and Charitable Clinics, as a
volunteer, program director, executive director and consultant. Marty worked at the Cleveland Free Clinic in Ohio for 27 years,
20 as the Executive Director. During his tenure, the clinic tripled in size, moving from a counter-culture organization to a
fully functioning primary care clinic. Marty was one of the initial creative forces that led to the establishment of the NAFC. He
served as one of the founding board members and was elected as the first President of the Board of Directors.
- UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic Project - The UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic Project (SRFCP) was initiated
in San Diego, California in 1997 by founder and current Director, Dr. Ellen Beck, a group of committed, motivated students, and
dedicated community partners. The SRFCP addresses one of San Diego County's most pressing needs by providing accessible,
comprehensive, high-quality, ongoing medical, pharmacy, dental care and social services free of charge to more than 2,000
individuals each year who are without or cannot afford access to private or government insurance programs. Since its inception,
the SRFCP has provided healthcare services with more than 100,000 visits for more than 10,000 patients. The SRFCP provides
licensed health professionals an opportunity to give back and be role models by directly supervising care. Each year over 250
UCSD medical, pharmacy, and pre-dental students and PCOM acupuncture students provide 17,000 volunteer hours annually under the
supervision of licensed health professionals.
- Texas Association of Charitable Clinics (TXACC) - As the state organization for Texas, which has the distinction
of having the highest rate of uninsured individuals, TXACC, under the direction of its Executive Director Jody Hopkins, has the
challenging job of supporting over 75-member clinics with minimal staff and as of yet, no state funding. TXACC does an
outstanding job of navigating these changing and challenging times for health care and providing meaningful support to the TXACC
clinics that are working the front lines. In addition to advocacy, networking, education, training and capacity building efforts
that benefit virtually every Texas clinic, TXACC is able to respond quickly and effectively when disaster strikes. Never was this
more evident than when Hurricane Harvey struck last August. Through daily phone calls with community partners and the NAFC, TXACC
facilitated the communication process and helped get much-needed supplies and resources to where they were needed most – the
hard-hit areas along the Texas coast that had area charitable clinics working 24x7.
“Through their commitment to health care access, Free and Charitable Clinics and Charitable Pharmacies (and the individuals and
organizations who support them) serve as an inspiration to others in an effort to improve the quality and accessibility of health
care and discover new ways to assist those in need,” said Nicole Lamoureux, NAFC President and CEO. “We are beyond
grateful that the CVS Health Foundation continues to show their support for the work of our members and that they joined with our
organization to recognize these amazing individuals and organizations.”
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About the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is the only nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is
solely focused on the issues and needs of the medically underserved throughout the nation and the more than 1,200 Free and
Charitable Clinics that serve them. Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is working to ensure
that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality health care and strives to be a national voice promoting quality
health care for all. The NAFC has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar and a Four Star Ranking with Charity
Navigator.
For more information about the NAFC, please visit www.nafcclinics.org. Follow the NAFC on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NAFClinics and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NAFCClinics.
About the CVS Health Foundation
The CVS Health Foundation is a private charitable organization created by CVS Health that works to build healthier
communities, enabling people of all ages to lead healthy, productive lives. The Foundation provides strategic investments to
nonprofit partners throughout the U.S. who help increase community-based access to health care for underserved populations, create
innovative approaches to chronic disease management and provide tobacco cessation and youth prevention programming. We also invest
in scholarship programs that open the pathways to careers in pharmacy to support the academic aspirations of the best and brightest
talent in the industry. Our philanthropy also extends to supporting our colleagues' spirit of volunteerism through Volunteer
Challenge grants to nonprofits where they donate their time and fundraising efforts. To learn more about the CVS Health Foundation
and its giving, visit www.cvshealth.com/social-responsibility.
Kerry Thompson National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics 7036477427 kerry@nafcclinics.org
