It is a pleasure to introduce myself to the Colorado Rural Health Center Community. My name is David Lack and I recently joined the CRHC staff as the new Chief Operating Officer. In one capacity or another, I have been involved in healthcare access and affordability for the medically underserved for 25 years. My first experience in this arena was with a coalition of rural health stake-holders in Iowa during the farm crisis of the 1980s. I have also spent time in health care advocacy throughout the country and in Washington as the CEO of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance. Previous to joining the CRHC staff, I was the Executive Director of a nonprofit health clinic in Denver serving uninsured families in the seven-county metro area. I believe healthcare is the arena in which I belong.
When I applied for this job, I was anxious to work with Lou Ann Wilroy, whom I have known for years and have come to respect a great deal. However, she had other plans and has moved on to pursue consulting work. To fill her void, CRHC is conducting a widespread search for a new CEO. I am assisting the Board of Directors in gathering candidate information and working toward the interview process. We have a slate of excellent candidates and hope to proceed to the interview round within the next two weeks. The goal is to have a new CEO in place in time for the CRHC Annual Conference. We are all looking forward to discovering who that person might be and working together to carry out the outstanding mission and exceptional programs of the CRHC.
Speaking of the annual conference, please mark your calendars for August 11-12, and plan now to attend. The 20th Annual Rural Health Conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency in the Denver Tech Center. The conference planning committee is working on a schedule of tremendous speakers and presentations, and I am looking forward to attending. Complete information and registration is available online. I hope to meet you at the conference, so register today!
Several CRHC staff members have been working hard to create the 2010 Annual Report of the Colorado Rural Health Center, and it is now available. I enjoyed reading it a few days ago, and I know that you will as well. It is also available on the CRHC website - just look under “What’s New” and while you’re there, check out the press release on the $2 million in grants awarded by CRHC!
Again, it is a privilege to be a part of the CRHC community, where we work together to ensure that rural communities have access to adequate healthcare.
