Heritage Health's Mike Baker receives national award

Heritage Health CEO Mike Baker has received national recognition for his efforts in gaining federal funding for the nation’s community health centers.

Baker was among 12 community health center leaders from throughout the U.S. to receive the National Association of Community Health Center’s Elizabeth K. Cooke MVP award.

“This year’s honorees all went over and above in their efforts to ensure that their members of Congress actively supported health centers or established or expanded grassroots advocacy efforts at their health center or in their state last year,” said the program for the association’s Policy and Issues forum held this week in Washington, D.C., where the awards were announced.

Amanda Pears Kelly, national advocacy director for NACHC, said Baker is a recognizable leader in health center advocacy.

“Mike epitomizes what it is to be an effective advocate — he is masterful at building trusted relationships that provide an opportunity to serve as a resource to decision makers and to positively influence their perspective on proposed policies to support health centers and the patients they serve,” Pears Kelly said.

Heritage Health board president Jana Hull said Baker’s award was well-deserved.

“At the awards ceremony, they spoke about things that we who are fortunate enough to work with him have already known: his passion for health centers, his humility and selfless leadership, and his tireless work this past year making sure that we didn’t lose funding for vital services as we approached the fiscal cliff,” said Hull. “The Board of Heritage Health is incredibly proud of Mike and is excited to watch Heritage move into a position of innovation and national prominence under his leadership.”