United Family Medicine Board Names Chief Executive Officer

United Family Medicine (UFM), a federally-qualified health center (FQHC) in St. Paul dedicated to meeting the health care demands of its community while contributing to the vitality of the region, announced today that its board of directors promoted Ann Nyakundi to CEO effective immediately.

Nyakundi joined the organization as interim CEO in October 2019, establishing priorities to re-design UFM's care model to improve patients' access to its services, maintain highest level health outcomes, and achieve compliance with the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), its federal regulator and primary funder. The resulting transformative changes, including migrating from its Allina-leased provider arrangement to hiring its own full complement of physicians, place UFM on track to attain regulatory compliance, while improving patients' ability to see their doctors and health care team more quickly than ever before.

"It's my desire and our collective responsibility to provide the best health care possible to every one of our patients, at the time that they need it, and we're making numerous changes to meet this commitment," said Nyakundi. "I'm grateful to UFM's board of directors for the confidence it's placed in me as its CEO, and excited to continue our work to place patients at the center of our response to community needs."

Through the onset and continuing stressors of the Covid-19 pandemic, Nyakundi empowered her teams to improve access to care, such as the advanced practitioners who launched telemedicine as a service. This prompt response resulted in UFM regaining most of the patient visits that were delayed due to the pandemic, while significantly reducing UFM's operating deficit and reliance on a part-time physician workforce. These cost efficiencies will allow UFM to expand dental and other services.

"Ann's skill as a health care leader and her ethical and motivational orientation has steered United Family Medicine forward through the extreme challenges that its operating structure posed and the Covid-19 pandemic continues to present," said Daymond Dean, UFM Executive Committee Board Member. "Our patients' lives and well-being depend on their ability to receive the services that a community health center provides, and Ann is immeasurably qualified to ensure that UFM delivers those services and high-quality health care to our community.

Nyakundi pursued undergraduate and graduate medical anthropology and health care administration at the University of Michigan and University of Minnesota respectively, and brings to her role expertise in community health, philanthropy, strategic planning and health policy. Having experienced homelessness as a child without access to adequate options for high quality health care, inspired her career and commitment to public health. Most recently she volunteered for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) as a National Expert for the New Models of Primary Care Workforce and Financing Project, provided strategic support to the National Marrow Donor Program and worked within the Primary Care Services Division of the American Cancer Society.

About United Family Medicine

United Family Medicine, a federally qualified health center in St. Paul, Minnesota, provides high quality primary care, dental services and behavioral health services to all persons regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. As a community health center, we operate as a patient-focused team to support health and well-being, connecting patients with helpful resources for housing, jobs, transportation and more. Mission statement: Excellence in delivering healthcare for all; training the providers of tomorrow. Vision statement: A healthy, vibrant and thriving community. More information is available at https://unitedfamilymedicine.org/.