When I was asked in June to become the interim CEO of Community Health Programs, I believed I might bring a unique perspective to overseeing the CHP healthcare networks and family services.
As a patient of Lee Family Practice for more than 25 years, I’ve benefitted from the excellent care provided by the clinical team there. I served on the CHP Board of Directors for six years, and I’ve been a professor of healthcare administration for 15 years.
But nothing prepared me for what I have witnessed in these past three months: the impact of the extraordinary people who work at CHP caring for our patients and clients.
Across CHP’s medical, dental, behavioral health, pediatric, OB-GYN practices, and Family Services, I am humbled and impressed. Individually and in teams, our employees are dedicated to improving the health, wellness, and quality of life for thousands of Berkshire County residents.
From our reception and facilities staff to our administrators, all are attuned to CHP’s mission: “to improve the health of people throughout the Berkshires by delivering exceptional, compassionate health care and family services.” Everyone plays a part. Everyone makes a difference, as they have since 1975.
CHP’s patients are from all walks of life, across the spans of age, income, insurance types, heritage, immigration, and gender status. For some, CHP is an assurance of health care if they have limited means or insurance. For others who can be choosy about their health care, CHP is the choice.
And recently, I also witnessed CHP’s impact on a new generation of my family. My son Harrison and his wife Caitlin returned to the Berkshires in late 2021, ready to start a family. They chose CHP Barrington OB/GYN for care.
They received top-notch prenatal care from the CHP team of certified nurse-midwives, a nurse practitioner, and physicians. On September 1, Dr. Antoine El-Khoury delivered my grandson, Boden, at Fairview Hospital, to the joy of his parents and my entire family. Mother and baby have been doing fine, and Caitlin has joined “Beyond Delivery,” a weekly post-partum support group for new moms.
I am grateful to have so many perspectives on CHP: as a patient, board member, administrator, parent, grandparent, and community member. One thing is certain: I will continue to discover more examples of CHP’s commitment to our patients in delivering excellent care. I look forward to sharing my discoveries with our friends, donors, community partners, and healthcare colleagues.