Lynn Community Health Center Thanks Board President for His Dedicated Years of Service

Lynn—Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC) extends thanks and gratitude to Dr. Rodolfo Vega for his dedicated commitment to LCHC. Dr. Vega served almost four years as President of LCHC’s Board of Directors and nine years as a member, and citing recent significant changes in his job responsibilities at his workplace, has decided to resign. Dr. Vega’s term would have concluded in October due to term limits.

Dr. Vega is a Senior Consultant at JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. and currently serves as Senior Advisor to the City of Springfield in support of their opioid overdose prevention plan, is co-principal investigator in a COVID-19 initiative that involves 64 community-based organizations across the United States, and is the lead evaluator of a $17 million workforce and business incubator initiative in Virginia.  He has extensive experience in program evaluation and providing capacity-building services (technical assistance and training) to communities of color across the nation in the areas of behavioral health, substance abuse, HIV, problem gambling, diabetes, and obesity. He has helped health departments and community-based organizations translate research into practice and provided technical assistance in service integration strategies, program implementation, and developing evaluation designs. At JSI, Rodolfo has served as evaluator for more than 20 programs, nationally.

During his tenure on the LCHC Board, Dr. Vega served as Vice-President in 2016 prior to being voted by his peers as President. He also Chaired both the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Quality Improvement and Compliance Committee. He cared deeply about ensuring patients were treated satisfactory and most importantly with dignity and equity.

“Rudy has not only been a transformative Board President, but is also a friend and mentor,” said LCHC CEO Dr. Kiame Mahaniah. “As a first-time CEO, I could not have asked for a more supportive partner, or a person more knowledgeable about inequities in health care and especially in health care delivery. I know we will stay in close touch, but Rudy’s departure from the LCHC Board will certainly leave a void.”

“It has been an honor to serve the LCHC for the past ten years, and I am continually amazed by the courageous efforts of the staff in addressing the HIV, opioid, and COVID-19 epidemics as well as other disorders that have a significant impact on the Lynn community,” said Dr. Rodolfo Vega. “I intend on continuing to promote and support their mission and vision.”

Current LCHC Board Vice-President, Mr. Nelson Woodfork, has agreed to step in as interim President for the remainder of this term and will be voted as such by his board colleagues at the July meeting. The Annual Meeting of the Board will take place in October, at which time new Officers will be elected.

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