Worcester Business Journal

14 Worcester Business Journal | December 9, 2024 | wbjournal.com FOCUS N O N P R O F I T S e next strategic plan With a new board chair, Family Health Center of Worcester looks to sustain its financial recovery while ensuring quality, equitable care BY MICA KANNER-MASCOLO WBJ Staff Writer A melia "Lia" Spiliotes didn't find out until later in life that her family didn't have health insurance when she was growing up in a small town on the eastern end of Long Island. She imagines how frightening it must have been for her mother, a woman whose freedom was limited while growing up in an occupied village in Greece during World War II, to not know if her children could receive health care when needed. "I feel passionate about the fact that health care, it's a right," she said. "e whole idea of freedom and access is re- ally critical to me personally, but I know I have a possibility of helping others to achieve that as well." Spiliotes, who is president and CEO of Crossroads Continuum, a Hud- son-based nonprofit providing educa- tion and services to those with autism and their families, on Nov. 19 was named board chair of Family Health Center of Worcester. She comes into the volunteer role as the community health center has just emerged from a financial crisis and is looking to forge a strategic plan for a sustainable future. "Lia and her experience has helped to lead the conversation within the board around what's the path to repositioning ourselves, improving the business equa- tion for ourselves, but more importantly, having the wherewithal to truly meet the mission as it was conceived of 60 years ago," FHCW President and CEO Brady said. Major aspects of FHCW's future include diversi- fying its revenue, owning its facili- ties, and seeking more community partnership, all while switching to a care model designed to keep people healthier. "We need to take care of the folks who come into our center, that are in our school-based programs, that are in the homeless shelter and medical support. We need to take care of them, because at the end of the day, everybody can vote with their feet," said Spiliotes. Driving financial sustainability "She has a very deep and strategic understanding of the challenges that we face in health care," Brady said. FHCW is in a financial rebound aer closing three of its former locations in Southbridge and Webster and furlough- ing 10% of its staff in September 2022. In November of that year, the organiza- tion launched its 120-day Better Togeth- er operation to streamline operations and reduce costs. ose efforts seemed to have paid off: FHCW reported a $2.1-million budget surplus in fiscal 2023 and a $947,001 surplus in fiscal 2024, although work needs to be done to se- cure financial success moving forward, Brady said. One of the challenges of running a federally qualified health center is the reliance on federal and state reimbursements and programs, said Brady. e federal and state govern- ments showered community health centers with funds during the COVID pandemic because they offered a safety net, but the support has somewhat dissipated. Ensuring FHCW's future financial stability is going to mean diversifying the center's revenue streams to mitigate the ups and downs as the government leadership changes, he said. Lou Brady, president and CEO of Family Health Center of Worcester Family Health Center of Worcester is focusing on a collaborative, hu- man-centered approach to health care as the nonprofit works to secure its financial stability in the years ahead. PHOTO | WBJ FILE

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