Beginning on Tuesday, February 13th, TVHC CEO Andrea Schwab-Galindo and Chief Integration Officer Dr. Sridevi Ponnala attended the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) Policy & Issues Forum in Washington, D.C. 

The NACHC’s annual conference offers community health center leaders from across the country an opportunity to gather and advocate for increased support for health centers on a national level.

During the conference, Andrea and Dr. Ponnala attended the NACHC and California Primary Care Association (CPCA) Leadership meeting to discuss funding, workforce development, AI, Prospective Payment Systems (PPS), and value-based care models. During this meeting, Andrea presented CPCA’s new initiatives and programs – including the Medi-Cal Navigation Project and the Civic Engagement Initiative.

Under these efforts, CPCA, along with health centers in 6 counties, are working to reach 270,000 low-propensity Latino voters, 560,000 community health center patients, and 4,000 community health center staff to share non-partisan information about the importance of voter participation.

Andrea and Dr. Ponnala were also invited to join a meeting with the Comunidad Sana Investment Fund, a collaborative initiative between the Raza Development Fund and UnidosUS to push for investments accelerating healthcare resiliency, grant resources, collaboration, and innovation. 

This was followed by a visit to Capitol Hill where Andrea, Dr. Ponnala, and leaders from our sister clinics met with Congressman Eric Swalwell and his team. This visit is part of NACHC’s annual “Hill Day” where healthcare leaders advocate for bipartisan support for health center funding and increased support for workforce development.

Thank you to Andrea and Dr. Ponnala for your advocacy and for helping to shape the policies to build a healthier future for all.