NACHC's Innovation Advisory Council
NACHC's Innovation Advisory Council will help guide and inform NACHC's Center for Community Health Innovation activities and will provide input from the field. The current priority focus areas are: Workforce, Practice Innovation Models, and Collaborative Arrangements.
2022 Innovation Advisory Council:
Kim Schwartz, MA (she/her)
Advisory Council Chair | Chief Executive Officer, Roanoke Chowan Health Center (NC)
Ms. Schwartz champions the unique challenges of the health care needs of rural communities in underserved areas and has generated key collaborations and innovations to advance RCCHC’s mission of enhancing the lives of Eastern North Carolinians. She leads RCCHC’s team as a member of the Institute of Health Improvement Leadership Alliance, represents US Congressional District 1 on the North Carolina Medical Care Advisory Committee, and serves on the Board of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine and immediate past Chair of the North Carolina Community Health Center Association.
Julia Liou, MPH (she/her)
Advisory Council Co-Chair | Chief Executive Officer, Asian Health Services (CA)
During her tenure with Asian Health Services, Ms. Liou has led the charge in strategic planning, development, the AHS Business Council, communications, advocacy and fundraising campaigns, and with cornerstone relationships. In recent years, Ms. Liou has catapulted AHS’ development successes in donor gifts, capital campaign fund raising, events, and grants from government and foundations. During the COVID pandemic, Julia collaborated with the Chief Innovation Officer and leveraged technology and government relationships to initiate a federal funding stream that seeds innovation and technology for community health centers nationwide.
Richard Bettini, MPH, MA (he/him)
President & CEO, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (HI)
Mr. Bettini is President and CEO for the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center as well as serves on NACHC’s board as representative for Region IX. He is board chairman of AHARO Hawaii, a network of FQHCs applying advanced analytics. He has expertise in many areas of FQHC operations including accountable care and artificial intelligence. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley School of Public Health and was a visiting scholar at Stanford University studying the “Diffusion of Innovation”.
Sonya Bruton, Psy.D., MPA (she/her)
CEO & President, CCI Health Services (MD)
Dr. Bruton has worked with community health centers at the site, state, and national levels since 1999. Her professional background spans a variety of business lines and vocations including leadership positions in physical and mental health, philanthropy, association management, advocacy, news, and organizational development.
Yvonne Davis (she/her)
Health Care Partners of South Carolina (SC)
Yvonne Davis served as consumer/board member representative on the Executive Board of NACHC in 2014. After over 35 years as an acquisitions coordinator, this retired library manager now finds more time to enjoy family and her passion to work with community health centers and other groups that believe in redeveloping the communities that, more than once, came to the assistance of her immediate family.
Robert Gomez (he/him)
Vice President of Business Development, AltaMed (CA)
During his long career in health care, Robert Gomez has held leadership roles at the site, state, and national levels, including serving on the Board of Directors of NACHC and as Chief Executive Officer for El Rio Health Center in Tucson, Arizona. At AltaMed, Robert helped facilitate mergers and acquisitions that doubled the number of managed care enrollees the health system serves.
Andrew Hamilton, RN, BSN, MS (he/him)
Chief Informatics Officer, Alliance Chicago (IL)
Andrew is a master's prepared nurse informaticist with 17 years of experience including in-patient nursing care, outpatient community health, and nursing administration. In addition, he is co-chair of the Chicago Area PCORnet Informatics Working Group and HHS UDS Modernization efforts. Andrew is a Fellow of the third class of the Health Innovators Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez, MS, MPH (she/her)
President and CEO, Urban Health Plan (NY)
Through her leadership and vision, Ms. Izquierdo-Hernandez has built Urban Health Plan (UHP) into a first-class health care organization located in the South Bronx, Central Harlem and Northwestern Queens serving close to 400,000 patient visits annually. In addition to leading UHP, Ms. Izquierdo-Hernandez sits on numerous boards, including the National Hispanic Medical Association, Community Health Care Association of New York State, and the Dr. Richard Izquierdo Charter School for Health and Sciences
Mike Holmes (he/him)
Chief Executive Officer, Scenic Rivers Health Services (MN)
Mr. Holmes has served at Scenic Rivers Health Services for over 40 years. He has testified before Congress multiple times advocating for a strong primary care infrastructure and the need to support health centers. Holmes serves as the Chair of the Board for NACHC, as Treasurer of the Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers, and chairs the Breakwater Health Network.
Feygele Jacobs, DrPH, MPH, MS (she/her)
President and CEO, RCHN Community Health Foundation
Dr. Jacobs has served at RCHN CHF since its founding in 2005. Previously, she worked at CenterCare, Inc., held positions in New York City’s and Boston’s public health care systems, and in hospital administration at the St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center. Dr. Jacobs was recently appointed to the faculty of Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, Department of Health Policy and Management.
Annette Kowal (she/her)
President and CEO, Colorado Community Health Network (CO)
Annette has more than 30 years of health care policy experience. She is considered a policy expert in many areas impacting Community Health Centers and an expert on association management. She actively advocates access to health care as a right.
Faith Polkey, MD, MPH, FAAP, CPE (she/her)
Interim Chief Medical Officer, Beaufort-Jasper-Hampton Comprehensive Health Services (SC)
Dr. Polkey joined BJHCHS in September 2002 as a Pediatrician. She is currently the interim CMO after serving as Chief of Pediatrics for 13 years. She is also the Regional Director of Medical Education for AT Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, whose South Carolina campus is embedded within the health center.
Wilma Schmitz, MA (she/her)
Board of Directors President, Family Care Health Centers (MO)
Wilma is a Regional Liaison and Trainer for Missouri's State Health Insurance Program (SHIP). She is responsible for training professionals and volunteers on Medicare topics. Wilma also serves on several committees with the Missouri Primary Care Association and the National Association of Community Health Centers.
Jason Shaplen (he/him)
Chief Strategy and New Ventures Officer, Community Health Center, Inc. (CT)
Jason comes to the role at Community Health Center, Inc. after a career that has spanned many sectors, including serving in senior capacities in business, the not-for-profit sector, diplomacy, communications and politics.
Aaron Todd, MPP, MHCDS (he/him)
Chief Executive Officer, Iowa Primary Care Association (IA)
The Iowa Primary Care Association is a membership organization supporting and advocating on behalf of Iowa’s fourteen community health centers and the 240,000+ patients they serve annually, and two sister companies: INConcertCare, providing health information technology and data analytics services, and IowaHealth+, a clinically integrated network owned by Iowa’s community health centers. Aaron leads a staff of 43 who are working to support the evolution of a statewide, community-health-focused system of care that envisions health equity for all.
Gary Wiltz, MD (he/him)
CEO, Teche Action Clinics (LA)
Dr. Wiltz has been employed with TAC for 40 years. During his tenure, he has also held many positions of leadership at the local, state, and national levels. Dr. Wiltz served on four Governor’s Healthcare Transition teams, more recently, Co- Chairing current Governor John Bel Edwards’ team. He is also a Board of Trustee and past Chair of AT Still University and past Chair of NACHC.