A look into the impact of FQHCs on underserved populations

Kate Paris is the Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at UnitedHealthcare Community & State. Kate is responsible for shaping and advocating for policy agendas as well as positioning Community & State as a trusted thought leader and partner with federal, state, and local health and social programs. Kate has extensive experience in health and public policy and is passionate about improving systems and programs to ensure fair and equitable access to care for the individuals, families and communities these systems serve. She currently serves as the Chair of the Medicaid Health Plans of America policy committee and sits on the board of SNP Alliance. Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare in 2012, Kate had a variety of professional roles that focused on policy, economic development and rural communities. Her work within the agricultural sector to support local food, food processing and renewable energy built a strong foundation and understanding of the connection between food, health and the policies that shape both. Kate has spent time in the non-profit sector and within the administrative and executive branches of state government. Kate received her Masters of Public Administration from the University of North Dakota and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota Morris.

   Arethusa Stevens Kirk is a National Senior Medical Director for UnitedHealthcare Community & State where she serves as the VP of Population Health & Clinical Strategy supporting each of the health plans nationally to achieve key clinical and business objectives. Areas of focus in her portfolio and for her team include population health strategy, health equity and quality advancement, clinical model and program development, virtual health, medical behavioral health integration and clinical innovation.

 

   With over 17 years of healthcare and community leadership experience, Dr Kirk has served as the Vice President of Medical Affairs at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Baltimore City and as a National Health Service Corps Scholar. She continues to practice as a primary care physician and as an Associate Physician of the Neurology and Development Inpatient Unit at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr Kirk is board certified in Pediatrics and completed her residency at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital.

   She holds an honors degree in Visual Arts and Semiotics from Brown University and her Medical Doctorate from George Washington School of Medicine. Prior to her career in medicine, she served with the Missionaries of Charity in India, taught at an open school in the Republic of South Africa, and lived with a regional village midwife as a U.S. Peace Corps Health Education Volunteer in The Gambia, West Africa. Finally, her parallel chief commitment is to shepherd the development and potential of her two boys.

Dr. Andree serves as the President and CEO for Community Health Centers, Inc., (CHC) a Federally Qualified Health Care Center, with 15 healthcare locations offering primary healthcare services in Central Florida. Dr. Andree’s commitment to CHC began in 2002 as a pediatrician and over the years her past roles have included serving as Chief Medical Officer & Vice-President, Associate Medical Director and Chief of Pediatrics. She also serves as the Pediatric Education Director/Clinical Associate Professor in Clinical Sciences at the Florida State University College of Medicine and has been on faculty there since 2004. Dr. Andree serves on various committees at the state and local level which include the Florida Surgeon General Physician Workforce Advisory Council. Prior to her medical education degree from the University of Miami in 1999, Dr. Andree obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Florida and worked as a Pediatric nurse. Additionally, Dr. Andree has experience working with the National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient Centered Medical Home accreditation process, the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, the Health and Resource Services Administration for Federally Qualified Health Care Clinics, and the Federal Tort Claims Act certification process. She has received numerous service and teaching awards including the Gold Humanism Award and the 2018 Centers for Disease Control Childhood Immunization Champion. Dr. Andree believes in CHC’s mission to provide quality and compassionate healthcare services to Central Florida’s diverse communities which aligns nicely with the goals of UnitedHealthcare’s Community & State FQHC National Advisory Board.