MILPITAS, Calif., March 08, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RotaCare Bay Area, Inc., a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization with 12 free medical clinics in the Greater Bay Area, has named Elisabeth Kirby Whitney as its chief executive officer, effective immediately.
“Elisabeth brings strong leadership, management and strategic planning skills to RotaCare Bay Area, along with extensive experience in non-profit and health related organizations having studied and worked on four continents,” said John Thomas, board president of RotaCare Bay Area. “We’re delighted to have her join our organization and to lead it to its next phase of growth and service for the uninsured and underserved with acute or chronic medical conditions.”
Ms. Whitney will provide overall executive leadership to RotaCare Bay Area and to the organization’s various stakeholders. She will also provide administrative direction and oversight to all programs, as well as our network of 12 RotaCare Bay Area Free Medical Clinics in the Greater Bay Area. The position will oversee all staff members, the 12 Clinic Advisory Councils, partner with local organizations, various health systems, and motivate volunteers and donors. In addition, Ms. Whitney will lead the implementation of Rota Care Bay Area’s strategic plan and vision, including the development of goals, priorities, and key strategies for the future of the organization.
Ms. Whitney joins RotaCare Bay Area from EKW Consulting, a firm that provides business management, strategic planning, certified business continuity planning, health care process evaluation and research and lean process consulting, where she served as its managing director from 2013 to present. Prior to that, she was the volunteer part-time executive director of Capture the Dream, a non-profit organization that provided low income individuals with financial support, resources, and opportunities to achieve their long-term educational and career goals. For four years she worked for the San Francisco Community Agencies Responding to Disaster (SF CARD) where she finished as their director of programs. While at SF CARD, Ms. Whitney conducted research projects for the San Francisco Department of Health and the American Red Cross. She also has over a decade of experience in the allied health services as a paramedic on both ambulances and helicopters for the City of Galveston’s Emergency Medical Services. In addition, she was a paramedic instructor for Galveston Community College where she taught and coordinated the EMS programs.
Born and raised in East Africa, she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology from the University of the South in Tennessee and is currently working on her Doctorate in Business Administration for Health Care Facilities. Ms. Whitney holds a Master of Public Health & Tropical Medicine Degree from James Cook University in Australia and a Master of Non-profit Administration Degree from the University of San Francisco.
About RotaCare Bay Area
RotaCare Bay Area is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization. RBA is a volunteer alliance of medical professionals, organizations and community members dedicated to providing free primary, quality healthcare services to uninsured families and individuals with limited ability to pay for medical care. RBA continues to serve the healthcare needs of many the Affordable Care Act cannot not support. RotaCare Bay Area is “the Safety net for the Safety Net!”
The organization was formed in 1989 when a local Rotarian, Dr. Mark Campbell and his Campbell Rotary Club identified the need of many local residents who had limited access to primary healthcare services. They resolved to meet the need with a clinic in Santa Clara. That first clinic, located in the former Agnews State Hospital site has since closed, but in its place RBA now has 12 clinics located in Concord, Daly City, Gilroy, Half Moon Bay, Monterey, Mountain View, Pittsburg, San Jose, San Leandro, San Rafael and Santa Cruz. The organization is driven by volunteers and supported solely through locally based philanthropy. RBA’s network consists of 12 free medical clinics located throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
RBA harnesses the skills and hearts of local physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, bi-lingual interpreters, social workers, and many others who volunteer their time to provide basic primary health services free of charge to our patients. Our clinics are open one to three nights a week, often sharing a clinic location with a school health center or hospital clinic, but also located in community centers. Only the number of volunteers that can be recruited binds us along with the funds we can raise, because the need is always there. Without RotaCare, patients would have no choice but to use hospital emergency rooms as their source of primary care. Using hospital emergency rooms for non-emergency problems drives healthcare costs up because the care for uninsured patients is passed on in higher healthcare premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. The 12 RotaCare Free Medical Clinics experienced over 18,400 patient visits last year. The clinics receive no government funding or insurance reimbursement.