The board of trustees of the Augusta-based nonprofit Maine Health Access Foundation unanimously approved the appointment of Barbara Leonard as the foundation’s new president and CEO on Monday.
The Maine Health Access Foundation, or MeHAF, promotes access to affordable, high-quality care, particularly for those who are uninsured.
“Barbara’s passion for [MeHAF’s] mission, expertise in public health and health care, and her abiding commitment to making the health care system work better for individuals who are uninsured and underserved makes her the ideal person to guide the foundation in the years to come,” MeHAF Board Chair Connie Sandstrom said in a statement. “Barbara brings deep understanding about the factors that are most important to improving health for Maine people and recognizes that health care is just a piece of the puzzle.”
Leonard has held the post of the foundation’s vice president for programs since 2008. MeHAF said she took a lead role in initiating a decade-long effort to integrate primary care and mental health; oversaw a multi-year effort to ensure that the needs of underserved and uninsured individuals were included in health care payment reform efforts; and ensured that MeHAF advanced and strengthened access to oral health services in Maine.
Leonard will begin her new role on Oct. 1, following the departure of founding President and CEO Wendy Wolf, who announced her planned departure in October 2015.
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