For Immediate Release:
March 24, 2016

For More Information Contact:
Rachel Gunsalus, rgunsalus@gwu.edu or Kathy Fackelmann, kfackelmann@gwu.edu

Geiger Gibson Program Recognizes 15 Emerging Leaders at the National Association of Community Health Centers Policy and Issues Forum

WASHINGTON, DC and NEW YORK, NY (March 24, 2016) – Each year, the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy in the Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University honors young professionals currently working in community health centers or health center primary care associations and who exemplify the mission and vision of Drs. H. Jack Geiger and Count Gibson, pioneers for community health and human rights.

The 15 Emerging Leaders selected in the award’s 10th year were recognized on March 19, 2016, during the annual meeting of the National Association of Community Health Centers in Washington, DC.

“The Emerging Leaders Award recognizes outstanding young men and women serving on the front lines of community health,” said Sara Rosenbaum, JD, the Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy and founder of the Geiger Gibson Program at the Milken Institute SPH. “This year’s winners are part of a new generation of leaders charged with advancing the core mission of the community health centers movement.”

The community health center program started with just two community-based clinics in the late 1960s and has now grown to include more than 1,350 centers serving more than 24 million people, added Feygele Jacobs, President and CEO of the RCHN Community Health Foundation, whose ongoing gift supports the Geiger Gibson Program.

“The public health experts, doctors, health educators, and clinic administrators recognized this year as Emerging Leaders represent the future of the community health center movement,” noted Jacobs. “We are delighted to recognize their achievements in the field today and look forward to their contributions in the future.”

The following 15 individuals were selected as 2016 Emerging Leaders:

About the Emerging Leader Award:
The Emerging Leader award was established in 2007 to highlight and share with the health center community the accomplishments of a new generation of health center leaders. One or more Emerging Leaders are selected annually by the Program, with the assistance of an advisory group comprised of health center leaders. The key qualities of leadership highlighted by this award are commitment, motivation, professional achievement, and leadership qualities that together further the health center mission.

About the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy:
The Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy is a special initiative of Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. Housed in the Department of Health Policy and Management, and named after Drs. H. Jack Geiger and Count Gibson, pioneers in community health practice and tireless advocates for civil and human rights, the program aims to develop the next generation of community health leaders by offering education, research and training in community health practice and leadership. The program’s research and educational activities seek to advance the education and policy development in the fields of health centers, primary health care for medically underserved populations, and health disparities reduction. The Geiger Gibson Program also offers a Fellows program, a health policy elective for medical residents, scholarship opportunities, an annual Distinguished Visitorship and more. For more information on the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy, visit: http://publichealth.gwu.edu/projects/geiger-gibson-program.

About the RCHN Community Health Foundation: The RCHN Community Health Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation established to support community health centers through strategic investment, outreach, education, and cutting-edge health policy research. The only foundation in the U.S. dedicated solely to community health centers, RCHN CHF builds on a long-standing commitment to providing accessible, high-quality, community-based healthcare services for underserved and medically vulnerable populations. The Foundation’s gift to the Geiger Gibson program supports health center research and scholarship. For more information, visit: www.rchnfoundation.org.

About Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University:
Established in July 1997 as the School of Public Health and Health Services, Milken Institute School of Public Health is the only school of public health in the nation’s capital. Today, more than 1,900 students from 54 U.S. states and territories and more than 50 countries pursue undergraduate, graduate and doctoral-level degrees in public health. The school also offers an online Master of Public Health, MPH@GW, and an online Executive Master of Health Administration, MHA@GW, which allow students to pursue their degree from anywhere in the world.