Lifetime Achievement Award: Ronald W. Kemp, CEO, Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa and Board Chair, Iowa Primary Care Association
Ronald W. Kemp was honored this year with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless efforts on behalf of the underserved and community health centers throughout his career. This award is presented to select individuals for their commitment to Iowa’s community health centers.
Ron has been an advocate and leader of the Health Center Movement in Iowa since its inception. Throughout his career, Ron has worked to improve the health of Iowans and to support the development of our community health centers across the state. He is one of the exceptional individuals that work tirelessly to go beyond the call of duty to truly change the lives of others and improve our healthcare system. Ron's commitment has been a hallmark of his career, and we thank him for his dedicated service as he prepares for retirement.
Carl Kulczyk Memorial Award: Mary Rose Corrigan, Board Member, Crescent Community Health Center and Heidi Price-Eastman, Pharmacy Director, Primary Health Care, Inc.
The Carl Kulczyk Memorial Award is given to those who embody a rare blend of leadership, compassion, and determination. In honor of Carl Kulczyk, former Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health Primary Care Office and Board Member of the Iowa/Nebraska Primary Care Association Board of Directors, two individuals are being awarded for their dedication to Iowans’ health this year.
Mary Rose Corrigan, RN, saw the difference that a community health center can make in a community and decided to bring one to her city. In 2006, with Mary Rose’s help, Crescent Community Health Center opened its doors. Serving more than 6,000 patients in 2019, Crescent has become a staple of Dubuque’s health system, offering high-quality care alongside enabling services that treat hard-to-reach populations, like the city’s Pacific Islander community. She is a leader in her city and her state, and we are proud to offer this award to her.
The other recipient of this award is Heidi Price-Eastman, RPh, MPA, Pharmacy Director at Primary Health Care, Inc. Since joining the PHC team in 2014, Heidi has transformed their in-house pharmacy. She has expanded the pharmacy program in Des Moines, Marshalltown, and Ames and acted quickly to ensure patients could access a 90-day supply of medications instead of the usual 30 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every day, she works to improve the pharmacy services at PHC, and we are proud to recognize her efforts.
Outstanding Provider Award: Sharon Duclos, MD, Medical Director, Peoples Community Health Clinic
Dr. Duclos has been a leader at Peoples Clinic since 1993. This year, she became a nationally recognized advocate for providers on the frontline of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. By sharing what providers are experiencing every day and making the case for community health centers during this unprecedented challenge, Dr. Duclos has elevated the heroic efforts of healthcare workers in Iowa and across the country.
Unsung Hero Award: Di Daniels, Board Member, United Community Health Center
It is difficult to capture everything that Di Daniels does for Storm Lake. On top of serving on the Board of United Community Health Center, Di co-founded and leads a multi-cultural health coalition, Salud, organizes town halls and forums to focus on issues affecting minority residents, organizes donations of excess food to residents in need, and so much more. Storm Lake would be a different city without her, and for that we are happy to pronounce her this year’s Unsung Hero.
Congratulations to every awardee and thank you for everything you do for Iowans!
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