NORTH BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL EVENT

2008 Going Green Conference: Building, Technology & Practices

Thursday, October 9, 2008, 7:30-11:45 a.m., Doubletree Hotel, Rohnert Park

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HEALTH CARE: Naomi Fuchs: Health care center CEO builds services, is leading advocate in time of growing need

SANTA ROSA – Southwest Community Health Center CEO Naomi Fuchs probably has one of the most difficult jobs in Sonoma County.

More and more people rely on community clinics like Southwest each year as fewer are covered by health insurance and funding has continued to decline. But Southwest Community Health Center has survived and thrived under her leadership, growing from a patient load of about 7,000 in 2001 to more than 20,000 today.

“When I first came to the center there was not a lot of stability. They had been through a series of directors. The staff was unhappy, and I committed two years to help them with the turnaround,” Ms. Fuchs said.

“But I really fell in love with my job, and I still love the job. There are always going to be hard times working in a fragmented health care environment, but there is a real foundation of caring here that you just can’t find anywhere else. And that is what keeps me here everyday,” she said.

Though some might find leading a community clinic more than daunting, Ms. Fuchs admits she’s an idealist. From her beginnings as a child of a Peace Corps director, she’s always believed in the good in the world and the ability to change things.

She spent her early years in the Philippines in the ‘60s, which became the inspiration for her college studies.

“When I was young I was exposed to a lot of different cultures and think that was what drew me to medical anthropology and the understanding that healing is not just about science and medicine,” she said.

From the east coast, the love of natural beauty and adventure drew her to the hills of Northern California just as the managed care movement was beginning to grow in the early ‘80s.

Ms. Fuchs had her first introduction to health care administration as chief executive officer for the Redwood Empire Medical Group, leading the way in a new medical concept focused on wellness and primary care.

“It was me, a secretary and a group of idealistic physicians who wanted to improve access to care and use wellness as a way to save people money,” she said.

“Those ideas never really went away, but then managed care became very profit-driven, and it became something I wasn’t interested in doing.”

After leaving the medical group, she spent five years consulting for national organizations, medical groups and hospitals before the opportunity to serve the community presented itself in a more direct way.

“In 2000, Southwest had a real cash shortage and was on the verge of closing its doors and needed a new director. My last child was on her way to college, so I thought it was an opportunity to do something new, and I knew then I had the time to commit to it,” she said.

Despite continued cuts in key state funding, in the last seven years the clinic has moved from a budget of $2 million to more than $14 million. It serves patients at five care sites and offers comprehensive services at low or no cost, including a school-based clinic, adult day health care program, behavioral health program, outreach and educational programs, family planning and others.

Last November, the clinic also took over operation of the Santa Rosa Family Residency Program’s outpatient clinic on Chanate Road in Santa Rosa, where it has added doctors, specialties and pediatric training.

This summer will be one of the most difficult for Southwest and other community clinics as they expect to go at least a month, if not several, without any state funding. Earlier this year, the governor told Medi-Cal providers they would not receive payments in August or until the budget is settled, but Southwest leaders are moving forward with plans to build a northwest county location and implement an electronic health records system.

“We are still moving forward with our new site. It’s at least a year out, but we have such a talented, dedicated and compassionate group of people. It’s just a matter of time,” she said.

Ms. Fuchs participates in a number of community organizations, including serving as vice chair of the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Consortium, Redwood Community Health Coalition member, California Primary Care Association member, Co-Chair of the Sonoma Health Action and others.

She has been recognized with the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce 2008 Excellence in Healthcare Leadership Award and with a 2008 Jefferson award as CEO of the clinic.