Be sure to check out this great profile of Dr. Gary M. Wiltz, M.D., who was elected in August as the next board chair of NACHC. Read about Dr. Wiltz’s journey, starting as graduate of the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program 29 years ago. When he first came to Teche Action Clinic in Franklin, LA, it was in danger of shutting down because they didn’t have a doctor of nurse-practitioner for over six months. Dr. Wiltz helped turn things around and later became CEO of Teche Action and got involved with NACHC:
As committed as he is to health and health care in rural Louisiana, Wiltz is anything but a quiet, country doctor. He is also a member of the executive committee of the National Association of Community Health Centers. In that role, Wiltz is a dedicated advocate who works to help the nation understand the importance of supporting and expanding the 8,000 community health centers across the country that provide care to approximately 21 million people. In a recent C-SPAN interview and other engagements over the past few months, Wiltz has spoken out about the need to protect federal health center funding.
“I am deeply concerned about the impact of federal budget cuts on our work. We’ve made a real dent in serving the uninsured population,” Wiltz says. “As the administration confronts the federal deficit and looks for ways to reduce spending, we are aware that cuts to Medicaid and a reduction in community health center funding are part of the national discussion. While we on the Committee understand the need for fiscal restraint, cutting a major source of health care coverage for millions of working families may in turn create an even greater debt for taxpayers and generations to come,” he says.
Read more about all that Dr. Wiltz has achieved in the full profile here. Find out more about Dr. Wiltz’s election as NACHC Board Chair-Elect here.