This governance role supports Pennsylvania’s primary care association for community health centers, serving more than 900,000 patients annually.
Erie, Pa. – October 19, 2021 – Community Health Net (CHN), the leading Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serving the Lake Erie region, announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Craig Ulmer, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC). The organization is Pennsylvania’s primary care association (PCA) for community health centers, serving more than 917,000 patients annually at 330-plus sites in underserved rural and urban areas.
“It is an honor to be chosen for such important role in support of a vital state-wide institution that fights to ensure affordable, quality health care for all,“ said Craig Ulmer, CEO of Community Health Net. “I am proud to represent our underserved communities in Erie and throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.“
Since 1981, PACHC programs and services, including but not limited to healthcare quality, legislative, regulatory, and policy advocacy, have supported health centers in their mission to improve access to affordable, quality primary care for all.
PACHC’s Board of Directors is composed of Community Health Center chief executive officers throughout the Commonwealth. The network of health centers includes Community Health Centers (FQHCs and FQHC Look-Alikes), Rural Health Clinics, and other like-mission providers.
“The decision of our members to elect Craig Ulmer to our Board of Directors was both logical and natural. He is a capable and proven leader who has managed to shape a successful community health care center in the state’s third largest city,” said Cheri Rinehart, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers, the association representing the largest network of primary health care providers in the Commonwealth. “Craig is truly committed to the health center mission of improving access to equitable, quality, affordable medical, dental and behavioral health care. We are delighted to benefit from his leadership and experience on the PACHC board of directors.”
Ulmer, a 35-year veteran of CHN, assumed the role of CEO in 2017, shortly after the company completed an intensive strategic planning process that culminated in a new vision, mission, values, and 10-year goals. Since then, the organization has significantly changed its culture, streamlined operations, and improved its patient services under his leadership. These efforts have resulted in a series of public successes, including Community Health Net being named “Best-in-Class Equity Performer” by the Pennsylvania Department of Health in 2021, amid the global pandemic.
About Community Health Net
Community Health Net is a Federally Qualified Health Center with seven locations and greater than 35 years of service. CHN is the preeminent, community-focused healthcare network advancing the wellness of the Lake Erie Region. Its mission is to improve the region’s quality of life by providing professional healthcare services with compassion, respect, and dignity to all.