Hull resident John M. Silva, president and chief executive officer of Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, was named as the Region 1 Representative to the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) Board of Directors. NACHC serves as the leading national advocacy organization in support of community-based health centers and the expansion of health care access for the medically underserved and uninsured. Region 1 includes all six New England states.

His resume highlights his passion for community health, from his role with the New England Community Health Center Association to becoming president and CEO of Family Care Health Centers in St. Louis, Missouri in 1989. During his time in Missouri, Silva was elected as president of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) in 1992 and served in 1993. He was also appointed to First Lady Hillary Clinton’s Universal Health Care Task Force in 1993 – 94 representing the nation’s community health centers.

Silva joined Greater Lawrence Family Health Center in 2016 as the president and CEO and led the health center’s efforts in its new accountable care model, the Merrimack Valley ACO (Accountable Care Organization), a joint effort with Lawrence General Hospital to provide coordinated care for more than 32,000 patients.

GLFHC Board Chair Charlie Zanazzi said, “We are proud that NACHC recognizes the strong leadership that our president and CEO John Silva has continued to show throughout his career in support of the community health center movement, not only nationally, but also throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and of course, for Greater Lawrence Family Health Center and our 60,000 patients.”

Jim Hunt, president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, added, “We are very pleased that John Silva will continue the tradition of strong leadership for Region 1 at the national level as we continue to promote health centers at this most critical time in American health policy.”