Elizabeth Swain Stepping Down as CHCANYS President & CEO; Lisa Perry, CHCANYS Senior VP for Clinical Excellence & Innovation, Will Become Interim President & CEO; Search Process Commences for Permanent CHCANYS CEO
Mary Zelazny, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS) and CEO of Finger Lakes Community Health, announced today that Elizabeth Swain, who has served as CHCANYS President and CEO for the last 11 years, will be stepping down from her position as of May 1. Zelazny announced that the process for naming a new president and CEO has commenced and until that successor is named Lisa Perry, CHCANYS Senior Vice President for Clinical Excellence & Innovation, will be the Interim President and CEO.“
CHCANYS, our members, the patients we serve and all New Yorkers owe Elizabeth Swain a tremendous debt of gratitude. Her 11 years of service have been absolutely tremendous,” Zelazny said. “Under Elizabeth’s leadership and careful guidance, CHCANYS has grown from a small advocacy organization with five employees into one of the nation’s leading primary care associations, supporting over 65 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), the primary health care provider for nearly two million New Yorkers.
“Thanks to Elizabeth, CHCANYS has become a critical partner in the state’s ongoing health care delivery system reform efforts and the ‘go to’ organization for information on community health care policy both in New York and nationally. Her leadership and dedication will truly be missed,” Zelazny said.
“These last 11 years have been among the most challenging and rewarding of my professional career. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work with some of New York’s most dedicated health care providers and help them be better prepared to serve their patients, as well as be their constant and tireless advocate in Albany and Washington, D.C.,” Swain said. “I have also been fortunate to have a remarkable staff and to develop relationships with some truly outstanding legislators and health care policymakers.
“While I will miss the daily interaction with my colleagues, I know that as I step out of the role of CHCANYS’ CEO, the organization is poised to continue to grow and provide leadership on behalf of the millions of New Yorkers who depend upon the outstanding services of New York’s community health care providers,” Swain said.
Perry joined CHCANYS in 2008, overseeing efforts to improve health information technology within New York’s community health centers, including development and implementation of CHCANYS’ Center for Primary Care Informatics – used by three-quarters of the state’s FQHCs – and full integration of CHCANYS Clinical Quality Improvement and Technology Programs.
“I’ve had the great good fortune of working alongside Elizabeth for the last eight years and I look forward to continuing and building upon her efforts to support New York’s community health care providers,” Perry said. “We have an outstanding staff of dedicated professionals and a wonderful board of directors that will help me guide CHCANYS through this transformative period.”
Zelazny said that CHCANYS has convened a search committee and is commencing an executive search process. She said that no timeframe has been established for the selection of a permanent new president and CEO.