The Encore Fellows in Community Health Centers (EFCHC) program paired former corporate professionals with health centers in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, Central Valley, and San Diego to strengthen the operational capacity of these critically important health care providers.

Through this innovative program, Encore fellows leveraged their extensive skills and experience to address the challenges faced by community health centers — institutions that provide care to four million Californians. Participating clinics gained new expertise in financial management, human resources, information technology, process improvement, and strategic planning.

The California HealthCare Foundation is no longer recruiting Encore fellows for Community Health Centers; however, those interested in becoming an Encore fellow can apply directly through Encore.org.

The two videos below show how the Encore fellows helped community health centers.

In the first video, 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 second video, 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.