OCTOBER 20, 2014
Community Health Resources (CHR), the leading behavioral health provider in Central and Eastern Connecticut, recently announced the appointment of Jaquel Patterson, ND, MBA as the organization’s new Vice President of Operations.
“I’m thrilled to be joining an organization with such a strong reputation for innovation and quality of care,” Ms. Patterson said. “I look forward to sharing my expertise in primary health and healthcare operations, systems coordination and healthcare integration to enhance CHR’s leadership team and help address growing demands for services.”
Ms. Patterson has extensive experience improving healthcare access and services in the public sector. Over the past 7 years, she has worked in a leadership capacity at federally qualified health centers that are focused on ensuring the highest quality, affordable and accessible primary care services to underserved populations. In this arena, she most recently worked as the Chief Operating Officer at Norwalk Community Health Center and managed Special Projects at Morris Heights Health Center in the Bronx, NY. Ms. Patterson spearheaded patient centered medical home recognition at both health centers and also served on the provider advisory council for the state of Connecticut for Patient Centered Medical Home Initiatives.
“We are excited to welcome Ms. Patterson to our Leadership Team here at CHR and we are confident that she will help us grow our reputation for excellence and innovation and as a valuable healthcare partner and provider,” CHR President and CEO Heather Gates said.
Ms. Patterson received her BS in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University, MBA in Healthcare Management from Quinnipiac University, and her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from the University of Bridgeport. She is a Connecticut Health Foundation Health Leadership Fellow.
The Vice President of Operations is responsible for overseeing CHR’s integrated care strategy, acts as our Compliance Officer, and provides leadership to our performance improvement activities. Ms. Patterson will be responsible for implementation of a number of strategic initiatives in her areas of responsibility.
“Ms. Patterson brings many outstanding capabilities to CHR, including excellent leadership skills and operations experience, ingenuity and determination and a dedication to providing essential health services to those most in need in the community. These are all qualities that we value here at CHR,” Gates said.