Our Board of Directors

Being on Health Care for the Homeless Board will give me the chance to add my input in matters that are very important to me. Health Care and Homelessness are things that we need to change, and if I can be a small part of that, it makes me very happy to do my part.

I have deep Baltimore roots and welcome my responsibility to give back to this wonderful City. Throughout my career, it's been important to me to ensure that I'm contributing to society in a meaningful way. I'm fortunate to have connected years ago with Health Care for the Homeless, and I have deep admiration for he organization's commitment to the community and its most vulnerable popluation. I've enjoyed contributing to discussions as a member of the Finance and Facilities Committee during a period of growth and new challenges for the organization  over the past few years. And now, I am excited to apply my knowledge, experience, skills, and perspective to broader organizational discussions as a member of the Board.

As a client whose "advocate gene" has resurfaced (we were always standing up in the 70's and 80's for positive qualities), HCH is worthy! A humanitarian's philanthropy is well place here! I'm ready to start a NEW!!!

Baltimore City is my adopted home. I came here in 2001 to get an education and grow into the person I always wanted to be. Along the way, I fell in love with this city- the good and the bad and realized that I was obligated to use my skills to generate positive change here. Along the way, I came across Health Care for the Homeless. I took a tour of the facilities and after shedding a few tears, I knew I had to help in any possible way.

That was 4 years ago and since that time, I have been honored to work along great volunteers and the amazing staff at Health Care for the Homeless to end homelessness and create the space for opportunity to flourish and change lives. As a child, I experienced homelessness with my family. I have been blessed to grow in a way that I can help others. I know that somewhere in Baltimore, there is a little girl like I was, who just needs a hand up from her community so that she can grow to change the world.

Homelessness is an issue that affects the entire community.  It is a pleasure to work with the incredibly dedicated and talented staff and volunteers at Health Care for the Homeless. The organization’s focus on quality and service is demonstrated in dignity and respect with which clients are treated. The group’s collective enthusiasm for solving this complex problem is inspiring.

I have spent my time in Baltimore working a stone's throw from Health Care for the Homeless. On a personal and professional level, I have left every interaction with Health Care for the Homeless leadership and staff utterly impressed by their commitment to serve and to lend a voice to the homeless in our City. At Mercy, we cherish our legacy relationship with Health Care for the Homeless. I am honored to have the privilege to serve on the Board and do my part to support our ambitious strategic vision.

As a board certified general and addiction psychiatrist, I have worked in Baltimore City for the past 18 years and have witnessed the devastating effects of addiction on underserved residents of the city. I have always been impressed with the dedication and compassion of the staff at Healthcare for the Homeless and I feel that Health Care for the Homeless has a great opportunity to make a huge impact on the lives of homeless individuals struggling with addiction and other mental disorders here in Baltimore and Maryland.

Health Care for the Homeless helps individuals who are suffering because there is unequal and inadequate access to health care, housing and income support in the United States. Serving on the Board provides me with an opportunity to improve these individuals’ access to basic needs as well as rebuild a safety net. I care deeply about people who are marginalized from the region’s many resources. Because Health Care for the Homeless is a well-run organization and based on respect for the dignity of all individuals, serving on the Board is an effective way for me to help bring about change.  

It is inexcusable for people in this country to be without a safe home and quality health care. I feel privileged to be able to work with the leadership and staff of Health Care for the Homeless, all of whom are committed to working to prevent and end homelessness and provide quality healthcare for the citizens of Baltimore. As Dr. Seuss said: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.”

I am inspired by Health Care for the Homeless commitment to providing quality healthcare and housing to those experiencing homelessness. I am excited to be part of achieving these goals for our community.

Health Care for the Homeless offers support, services and advocacy to a vulnerable group of individuals that we all see every day. Being a member of the Health Care for the Homeless Board allows me to be part of a solution to homelessness. Also, it enables me to work with some of the most talented and thoughtful people that I have met.

Based on today’s needs within Baltimore City I feel that Health Care for the Homeless has been a strong advocate for this particular population within the City, and fills a growing need every day. It has been a constant within the City for a long period of time and has one of the strongest staffs I have seen in a non-profit organization.

I love how Health Care for the Homeless sits in the crossroads of dealing with the issues of homelessness. Many times we try to deal with these issues separately when they are in fact so inter-related. Health Care for the Homeless' amazing approach of understanding each individual’s total problem (housing, health, wellness) and dedication to creating a total solution makes such an amazing contribution to our city. I am so proud to play a small part in helping making that happen.

I have been supportive of constructive solutions for individuals experiencing homelessness for two decades, and I place great value on the tremendous work of Health Care for the Homeless. In the 1990s, I served on the Board of Directors of South Baltimore Station, a men’s transitional housing center. Over the past 10 years, I served as the Chair of Baltimore Homeless Services and helped to launch Baltimore City’s 10-year plan to end homelessness. While at the Downtown Partnership, I have teamed up with Health Care for the Homeless to find housing for chronically homeless individuals and to provide services to people on the verge of becoming homeless.

Over the years as the health care executive with safety oversight for the Johns Hopkins Emergency Department, I had many opportunities to see the important work of HCH in action, including a safety net for ED patients and others experiencing homelessness and needing ongoing medical care. I welcome the opportunity to work with HCH as it implements its new strategic plan embracing healthcare and housing options for its clients.

As a native Baltimorean and an executive in the health care industry, I know firsthand how critically important and sometimes elusive access to quality healthcare can be to those most in need of it. As the city and greater community work to eradicate homelessness, it is imperative that those who experience it have a reliable place to turn to access quality and compassionate health care. I want to do all I can both personally and professionally to ensure that Health Care for the Homeless continues to secure the resources it needs to fill the life-saving role it plays every day. It is an honor to be associated with this incredible organization.

As a native of Baltimore City and alumnus of the University of Baltimore, I share a vested interest in the sustainability of our community. While working regularly with leaders throughout the healthcare ecosystem, I have witnessed firsthand the debilitating interrelated effects of inadequate housing and poor health on our most vulnerable neighbors. Despite significant legislative reforms and technological advancements, it is still too easy for many to slip through the cracks into a catastrophic spiral.

I am honored to serve on the Board with such committed members who contribute time and expertise to Health Care for the Homeless in continued support of our mission, which impacts real change where it’s needed most.

I got involved with the issue of homelessness because it was abhorrent for me to think that someone did not have a home and would be forced to live on the street. I support Health Care for the Homeless because I know that it provides high quality, comprehensive health care to those who are the most vulnerable in our society. I am proud to be a member of its Board of Directors.

I’m so energized by the opportunity to contribute to the mission of Health Care for the Homeless as a member of the Board at a time when the organization is beginning to work more directly on housing for its clients. It is an opportune time to support health public policy efforts as Medicaid and the health care safety nets continue to be front and center in national political discussions.

Health Care for the Homeless Board of Directors is committed to addressing the root cause of our mission. Many organizations focus on symptoms, HCH attacks the source. HCH Board of Directors has built an extreme diverse and talented board that I'm proud to align with.

It's a wonderful organization that provides vital services to so many vulnerable and underserved individuals in the Baltimore area. I've been universally impressed by the dedication and commitment of staff members and members of the leadership team that I've gotten to know while serving as a member of HCH's Human Resources Committee. It's my privilege to now have the opportunity to assist HCH and its talented staff in this small way as a Board member.

As a hospital leader in Baltimore City, I see the enormous challenges facing the most vulnerable members of our community every day. Health Care for the Homeless is a true role model for how to deliver world class, patient-centered, compassionate and effective care to all those it serves. It has been a true honor to serve on the Board’s Program and Process Improvement Committee to see firsthand the tireless and innovative work happening in the organization on a daily basis. I am thrilled to join the Board of Directors and continue to work with the incredible leadership and staff at Health Care for the Homeless to help the organization continue to thrive and achieve its mission to prevent and end homelessness in our city.

My research focuses on the health and wellbeing of drug users and sex workers, examining and intervening upon the environments which engender HIV and other risks in Baltimore, Chiang Mai Thailand, Chennai India  and Moscow, Russia. My work is rooted in social justice and the deep belief that how we treat the members at the far reaches of a society is reflective of the very heart of society. Health Care for the Homeless speaks to this belief, and the respect with which the organization treats every client is exemplary and is the guiding light of the organization and the very reason it has the impact it does.