Congratulations to our 2024 ACU Conference Award Winners!
The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved is honored to represent clinicians and advocates working to improve health equity for underserved populations, and we recognized leading individuals in our field with awards at our 2024 Conference, Envisioning a More Equitable Future: Advancing Stakeholder-Centered Innovation, on Aug. 4-7 in Washington, D.C.
Learn more about each winner of our Conference awards below, and register now to join us at #ACUConf to learn and network with clinicians, administrators, and advocates from across the U.S. who are united in expanding access to care and improving healthcare delivery for medically underserved populations.
Jessica Hahm, OD
Clinician of the Year Award
This award represents the heart of our work and is awarded to a clinician who has demonstrated their commitment to improving the health of underserved communities through compassion and excellence in healthcare delivery. ACU is proud to honor Dr. Jessica Hahm, OD, of Bread for the City in Northwest Washington, D.C., with this award. The only optometrist across nine D.C.-area health centers, Hahm has done incredible work providing equitable eye care to the 200,000 D.C. residents who rely on these clinics and demonstrates incredible commitment to providing accessible, compassionate eye care and increasing pediatric eye care access.
Dr. Gemma Jean P. Jamena, MD
Excellence in Health Equity Award
This award recognizes individuals for their commitment to promoting equity in health outcomes and for creating a culture of inclusivity in healthcare. ACU proudly honors Dr. Gemma Jean P. Jamena, MD, Clinic Director for Bay Area Community Health (BACH) at its Liberty Clinic since 20217 and a Board-Certified Family Physician in BACH for 10 years, with this award. Dr. Jamena has demonstrated unwavering dedication to promoting equity in health outcome and fostering inclusivity within the healthcare community and takes a multifaceted, holistic approach to helping patients overcome the systemic barriers that contribute to health inequities.
Dr. Suzanne LaGarde, MD, MBA, FACP
Advocate of the Year
This award honors an advocate whose advocacy efforts have contributed to improvements to policies or systems that impact the health of underserved populations. ACU is proud to honor Dr. Suzanne Lagarde, MD, MBA, FACP, CEO of Fair Haven Community Health Care, with this award. Having led a staff of nearly 300 in providing care at 20 locations throughout southern Connecticut for 11 years, Dr. Lagarde is a fierce advocate for underserved communities and has played a crucial role in not only preserving and expand Fair Haven’s services but also in advocating for reform of state Medicaid reimbursement rates.
Unity Health Care
Organizational Excellence Award
This award recognizes organizations that have implemented innovative and effective strategies to improve health care in underserved communities. ACU proudly honors Unity Health Care, a Washington, D.C.-based federally qualified health center which serves nearly 90,000 patients a year and has grown incredibly since its founding in 1985 as a Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) project, with this award. Since its inception, Unity has been recognized nationwide for its quality and service excellence, as well as its innovation in meeting people where they are through HCH services, medical respite services, compassionate care for asylum seekers, and other initiatives. Its dedication to quality and service excellence has earned Unity recognition as a top 30% Health Center Quality Leader nationally.
Margarita Ramirez Silva, MPH
Health Professional in Training Award
This award recognizes a student or resident who goes above and beyond in their commitment to caring for underserved populations. ACU proudly recognizes Margarita Ramirez Silva, a third-year medical student at Stanford University, with this honor. Having grown up in poverty and without documentation, Silva has overcome countless barriers to pursue medical and psychiatric training at Stanford and previously served as a care coordinator at safety-net hospitals in Chicago, IL. A powerful leader and advocate for medically underserved communities with lived experience, Silva is fiercely committed to advancing health equity for medically underserved populations.
Susan Boyles, LCSW
Excellence in Behavioral Health Award
This award recognizes outstanding individuals in our field for their passion, commitment, and excellence in elevating behavioral healthcare for the patients we serve. ACU is proud to honor Susan Boyles, Director of Behavioral Health at Adelante Healthcare in Phoenix, AZ, with this award. Through her commitment to improving patient access to care and ensuring more equitable health outcomes, Boyles has overseen the growth of Adelante’s FQHC behavioral health services from a 10-therapist program serving 50 patients per day to an 80-staff, fully integrated and specialty behavioral program serving 650 people a day. She has also been instrumental in bringing trauma-informed practices throughout the organization.
Chelsea Piechowski, M.S.Ed., LPC, NCC, RPT
Excellence in Behavioral Health Award
This award recognizes outstanding individuals in our field for their passion, commitment, and excellence in elevating behavioral healthcare for the patients we serve. ACU is proud to honor Chelsea Piechowski, Director of Counseling at Johnson Health Center in Lynchburg, VA, with this award. A Licensed Professional Counselor, Piechowski oversees the integration of behavioral health services within primary care at Johnson, and she has demonstrated extraordinary resilience and adaptability in expanding their department and completely revamping how Johnson’s behavioral staff are deployed. She has also created a workforce pipeline and counseling residency program at the FQHC and remains steadfast in her mission to improve the lives of those her organization servves.
