Quincy, Hull and Taunton, MA (January 14, 2021) – The Manet Community Health Center Board of Directors convened their Annual Meeting in December, renewed their commitments and installed board officers for 2021. Board of Directors officers for 2021 include Quincy resident and attorney Robert J. Griffin, who will serve as board president; Quincy resident and Director of Finance, Administration for the Quincy Housing Authority Grace Murphy-McAuliffe as vice-president; Quincy resident and attorney Ivan Wong as secretary and East Walpole resident and General Manager at ATI Flowform Products Stephen Keches as treasurer.
“We are sincerely gratified to be able to open the new year with a tremendously strong, dedicated and diverse group of board members,” says Griffin. “Individually and collectively, they are dynamic, engaged, thoughtful and never truer to their respective commitments to ensuring unfettered access to health care. The Board remains resolute on the unique and substantial role a federally qualified health center can play in the health of the broader community in all times, including within a novel public health crisis.”
Further, Griffin remarks, “Community Health Center Boards must be constituted by a majority of patients to ensure the patient voice, perspectives and experiences are guiding and influencing the present and the future of the health center, and this was especially important in this year. Our patient board members astutely and prominently shared their experiences in care and community in this Pandemic. Their perspectives supported and impacted outcomes in this Pandemic year, including site improvement projects, the opening of a Community Outreach office in Quincy, and our mobile, clinical support and technical assistance programming.”
In 2021, the Board remains steadfast to our vision “to be an innovative, compassionate, welcoming health center that is a provider, employer, partner and charity of choice.”
The Board will focus in earnest this year on: Manet’s response to COVID-19, including yet not limited to COVID-19 leadership response, testing and vaccination; operational excellence initiatives including technological upgrades to the registration process, further growth of Telehealth and advocacy to reduce the digital divide for patients; space expansions; and further developing the board of directors to be even more reflective of the communities and patients served.
Returning members to the Manet Board with Board President Griffin include: Anne Bisson, retired Director of Department of Human Services and Council on Aging for the City of Taunton and resident of Fall River; John Brothers, of Braintree, Executive Director of the Education and Training Branch of the YMCA of Greater Boston; Samantha Chen of Quincy; Zachary Eaton, of Quincy, New England Area Manager for Freedom Warranty; Lawrence Flanagan, retired and resident of Canton; John Galluzzo, a resident of Hanover and Grants Manager for Codman Square Health Center; Neda Hovaizi, DDS, of Milton and Owner and Practicing Dentist at Lumiere Dental Spa in Quincy; Linda Kelly, of Quincy, Disabilities Advocate; Jane Kisielius, MSN, RN, of Quincy, retired and former Quincy Public Schools Coordinator of Health Services; Joseph M. Reardon, of Milton, Vice President for Community Development and Advance Planning at Keohane Funeral Home; Henry, “Hank” Rittal, Director of Operations Reporting & Analytics at Teladoc Health; and Manet CEO Cynthia Sierra serves as a non-voting member of the board.
About Manet Community Health Center:
Founded in 1979, Manet Community Health Center, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) dedicated to providing preventive, primary, same-day, mental health, and substance use (behavioral health care) for all. With three practice locations in Quincy, one in Hull, one in Taunton, and a Community Outreach and Prevention Services office in Quincy, Manet serves patients from across the South Shore and Southeastern Mass. Manet is accredited by The Joint Commission, recognized as a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NQCA), and PCMH PRIME certified by the MA Health Policy Commission. Manet has a primary affiliation with Boston Medical Center Health System. For more information, visit www.manetchc.org or follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ManetCommunityHealthCenter or Twitter @ManetCommunity.
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