2019 was a year of tremendous change for Health Forward. Change is never comfortable, and leadership transitions can be especially unsettling for an organization. However, we witnessed how the staff have collectively handled these changes with grace and aplomb.
We thank Dr. McCandless again for her service and leadership over the last six years. Her influence on advocacy is especially apparent. We also appreciate her honesty and communication with the governing bodies about the transition plan and changes over the past year. The staff maintained operations flawlessly throughout the uncertainty. They are truly an asset to Health Forward.
We are eager to see the direction of Health Forward under new president/CEO Qiana Thomason. Her passion for health equity inspires each of us to continue this important work. Under her leadership, we hope to see great strides in racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic equity that will reverberate throughout the region. We also commend the board for its careful guidance in the search for a new CEO.
Insistence on continual improvement makes Health Forward special. Each year we witness ways the foundation self-evaluates its operations. The upcoming equity work and the new policy grant demonstrate Health Forward’s refusal to become stagnant in its operations. We love how the foundation has embraced evolution, even when it requires hard work and uncomfortably honest introspection.
Health Forward continues to operate with its characteristic transparency and integrity that we have come to recognize in all aspects of its work. Our communities feel supported by the staff and appreciate the efficiency and ease of the grantmaking process.
With Health Forward’s determination to stay true to its mission, we are all able to focus on what counts most: addressing the needs in our communities so that everyone has an opportunity for better health.
