The Institute’s Dr. Neil S. Calman Elected Board Chair of CHCANYS

New York, NY (March 8, 2018) – Dr. Neil S. Calman, president and CEO of the Institute for Family Health, has been named board chair of the Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS), New York State’s primary care association. Dr. Calman was elected to serve as board chair at the annual CHCANYS membership meeting. He will serve a one-year term, during which he will provide leadership and vision to the board’s ongoing advocacy and planning for New York’s safety net health centers.

CHCANYS’ purpose is to ensure that all New Yorkers, including those who are medically underserved, have continuous access to high-quality community-based health care services including a primary care home. To do this, CHCANYS serves as the voice of community health centers as leading providers of primary health care in New York State.

“Dr. Calman’s deep commitment to the community health center mission and his efforts to eliminate health disparities are truly inspiring,” said Rose Duhan, President and CEO of the Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS).  “I am thrilled to welcome him into his new role as CHCANYS’ Board Chair, and I look forward to working more closely with him to ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of income level or insurance status, have access to high-quality, affordable health care services.”

Dr. Calman has served as a member of CHCANYS’ board since 1998, serving as vice-chair for the past two years. He also previously served as chair of the CHCANYS clinical (2002-2008), conference (2000-2002) and health policy (1998-2000) board committees.

Dr. Calman has served as president and CEO of the Institute for Family Health, one of the largest networks of federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in New York State, since he co-founded the organization in 1983. During his tenure, Dr. Calman has grown the Institute from a small nonprofit organization with four staff members to a robust primary care network serving over 117,000 patients annually in the Mid-Hudson Valley, the Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn. Dr. Calman’s achievements span efforts to improve access to health care for medically underserved communities; address racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes; and utilize innovative workforce development and information technology strategies to assure high-quality care for those most at risk. Most recently, he has played a key role in advocating for ongoing federal funding and support for health centers that provide graduate medical education for primary care providers, known as Teaching Health Centers.

“I am deeply honored to serve as board chair of CHCANYS,” said Dr. Calman. “This is a time of incredible change in the health care system, one which demands that health centers work together more than ever before. We are here to support each other, learn from each other and continue to strengthen our role in the health care system – so that all people can get all of the care they need, irrespective of who they are.”