The fact that NOAH is run by a Board of Directors means something different to members of the NOAH team. Our board is either:
- Something you know very well because the Board of Directors is part of your job,
- Something you heard mentioned once during orientation, or
- Something in-between.
The NOAH Board of Directors is kind of a big deal. But who are the members of the Board of Directors? What do they do and why it is important?
1. Who is the NOAH Board of Directors?
The members of the board are members of our community – often from our patient population – who are interested in public health. They believe in NOAH’s mission and in our ability to help our community. One of the goals is that NOAH’s board reflects our patient demographics in terms of race and ethnicity, age, gender, and more. Different perspectives help different patient populations like refugee communities, disabilities, etc.
All board members bring expertise to the team, including legal, financial, community relations, healthcare, advocacy, and leadership. Then, they volunteer their talents to help NOAH, no member of the board is paid. To get to know more about our board members, visit our Board of Directors webpage and check out our recent Board Member Profiles.
2. Why does NOAH have a Board of Directors?
The short answer? Because we have to. But the real answer is that as a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization, we must have a Board of Directors to provide legal governance and financial oversight. And, because NOAH is an FQHC, more than 50% of our Board of Directors must be NOAH patients. Board members also serve as links to the business community and within community and government agencies that share an interest in public health or a specific patient population we serve.
3. What does the Board of Directors do?
What the Board of Directors does for NOAH isn’t usually seen immediately. The work they do is rooted in NOAH’s long-term promise to our patients and communities. Most recently, the NOAH team can see the work of NOAH’s board in the transition from HonorHealth in late 2021, the new Desert Mission Health Center – which was years of work by the board, and soon the new Cholla Health Center. Board members also bring individual insight to areas of NOAH’s services, including dental expertise, proactive legal insight, pediatric / youth programs, and more.
The NOAH Board of Directors is committed to our mission, our patients, and to our team. If you know someone who may be interested in impacting community health (other than your team members – sorry NOAH employees can’t be on the board), encourage them to learn more about being on NOAH’s Board of Directors!
