Community Health & Wellness Partners (CHWP) has announced that Tara D. Bair, President and CEO, has been awarded the prestigious Dolores J. Lindsay Award for Outstanding Achievement and Leadership by the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers (OACHC).
The Dolores J. Lindsay Award is presented annually to a community health center executive who has made significant contributions to the community health center movement in Ohio.
The award is named in honor of Dolores J. Lindsay, who founded Ohio’s first health center, The HealthCare Connection in Cincinnati in 1967.
Lindsay’s leadership led to the expansion of healthcare services, particularly in medical and dental care, and to the development of new centers in the region.
About Community Health Centers:
Community Health Centers, including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Look-Alikes (LALs), provide essential healthcare services to nearly 1 million patients annually across Ohio.
These centers play a critical role in caring for the uninsured and underinsured and operate in over 500 locations across 76 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
As the largest healthcare system in the nation, these centers are recognized as some of the highest-rated programs by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Bair’s Achievements:
Bair, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from Urbana University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, has over 25 years of experience in healthcare.
Since joining CHWP, Bair has been instrumental in its growth and success, securing essential grant funding and guiding the organization in its expansion and program development.
Key Achievements:
- Founder of CHWP: Bair led the creation of Community Health & Wellness Partners in 2014 with a team of 17 board members and 11 staff. CHWP opened its first location in West Liberty, followed by another in Urbana in 2022, expanding its services to a one-stop primary care practice.
- Successful Merger: In 2016, Bair negotiated a merger with a 50-year-old community practice, positioning CHWP as the largest primary healthcare provider in Champaign and Logan counties, growing from two locations to five.
- Innovative Programs: Under her leadership, CHWP introduced several impactful programs, including:
- A substance use treatment program, becoming the first in the community to offer a structured program with medication-assisted treatment.
- A diabetes education program accredited by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) and certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) improves health outcomes for diabetes patients.
- An in-house pharmacy program, offering free medication delivery to local residents.
- Population Health Department: Bair established this department, which manages care coordination, case management, disease management, and transitional care, significantly improving patient outcomes.
- Accreditations and Recognition: CHWP has earned several accreditations under Bair’s leadership, including from The Joint Commission and Community Health Center Quality Recognition from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
- School-Based Health Centers: CHWP launched five school-based health centers at Benjamin Logan Schools, Graham Local Schools, Indian Lake Schools, Riverside Local Schools, and West Liberty-Salem Schools. These centers provide crucial primary care and behavioral health services to students in need.
- Comprehensive Healthcare Access: CHWP also operates four community health centers in Bellefontaine, Russells Point, Urbana, and West Liberty, ensuring access to care for thousands of residents in the region.
