Rose Duhan made a public promise when appointed as Assistant Secretary for Health and Mental Health by Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2014:
“I will work diligently to help and care for New Yorkers in need.”
This commitment has defined her entire career, from leadership roles in state and local government to her current position as President and CEO of the Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS).
On Monday, June 4, Duhan will be honored at the PCDC 25th Anniversary Gala.
In a recent conversation, she reflected on her career, CHCANYS’ mission, and the impact of PCDC.
PCDC: Creating healthier communities has been the dominant theme throughout your career. To what do you attribute your interest in health care?
RD: I believe that having access to high-quality health care is a fundamental human right, and I want New York to be a place where everyone can get the primary and preventive care that they need and deserve. I have focused my career on helping to build a health care system that promotes equality, reduces disparities, and is aligned with the social and economic needs of all New Yorkers. Community health centers are at the forefront of this work!
CHCANYS is the voice for community-based primary care in New York. What are some of the achievements you’re proudest of?
I’m particularly proud of the role that CHCANYS has played in expanding access to community-based primary care in underserved communities across New York State during the last decade. The CHCANYS team has worked hard to educate policy makers about the importance of primary care and provide New York’s community health centers with the resources they need to improve the quality and comprehensiveness of their services and help more people. Since 2006, the number of patients served by our statewide health center network has nearly doubled, to 2.2 million!
On a related note, I am also proud of the pivotal role that CHCANYS has played in raising the profile of primary care as the necessary foundation of New York’s reimagined health care delivery system and helping to secure increased state investment in community-based primary care providers so that they may participate more meaningfully in ongoing transformation projects.
What does being a PCDC Gala honoree mean to you?
CHCANYS highly values its longstanding partnership with PCDC and their strong support over the years as we have worked together to position New York’s community health centers as leading providers of high-quality, primary and preventive care and equip them with the resources they need to grow and thrive. Particularly invaluable, PCDC’s expert financial guidance and loan assistance programs have helped our health centers to bring their services to areas of the state where other care options simply don’t exist.
While I am deeply appreciative to have been selected as an honoree by PCDC, it is our community health centers and the important work that they do every day that we are recognizing and celebrating!
