Encore Fellows in Community Health Centers (EFCHC; formerly Encore Fellows in California Community Clinics) pairs former corporate professionals with clinics and consortia in the Central Valley and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Combined, these clinics and their related consortia care for more than 770,000 patients each year — three-quarters of whom live at or below the federal poverty level.
Through the program, clinics gain new expertise in financial management, human resources, information technology, process improvement, and strategic planning. Fellows, experienced professionals at or near retirement, can use the skills gained in their former roles to make a difference, earn a stipend, and learn about transitioning to work in the nonprofit sector.
The community clinics program is an extension of the Encore Fellows program launched by Encore.org (formerly known as Civic Ventures), with original funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. CHCF is supporting the clinics program with a $500,000 grant.
Fellows receive a $25,000 stipend for a 1,000-hour (half-time), 12-month assignment. In July 2011, 17 fellows began working in clinics and were matched with these organizations:
- Central Valley Health Network
- Community Health Clinic Ole
- Community Health Partners of Santa Clara
- Curry Senior Center
- Gardner Family Health Network
- Haight Ashbury Free Clinics
- La Clínica de La Raza
- LifeLong Medical Care
- Native American Health Center
- Ravenswood Family Health Center
- San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium
- Southwest Community Health Center
- St. Anthony Foundation
- Tri-City Health Center
- West County Health Centers
More information about this program is available through the External Links below.
In the video below, Roger Lewis, a former human resources executive who works with the Gardner Family Health Network, talks about what motivated him to join the program.
In the video below, Reymundo Espinoza, CEO of San Jose-based Gardner Family Health Network, reflects on how hosting an Encore fellow helped advance Gardner's goal of managing growth and continuously improving quality.