Profiles in Leadership
Meet NOAH Board Member Dr. Kim Perry
Get to know Dr. Kim Perry, what she brings to the NOAH board of directors and what she hopes to accomplish while serving in this capacity.
Q. When did you join the NOAH Board of Directors?
A. I joined the NOAH Board of Directors in 2021. When I first moved to Arizona, I attended the opening of a NOAH Health Center and was very impressed with the facility and the warm welcome from the staff.
Q. Why are you interested in supporting community health?
A. Having grown up in a very underserved community in New Jersey, I’ve always had an interest in community health. Early in my career, I served as the inaugural dean for A.T. Still University’s Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health. We developed a partnership with Affinia Healthcare (the FQHC) where students had the opportunity to provide dental services to medically underserved patients in a 92-chair dental clinic. It was in this experience that I realized how many people benefit from Community Health. I was inspired to continue this work as a board member for a Community Health Center that supports oral health care.
Q. What specifically about NOAH motivated you to want to get involved at this level with the organization?
A. I find NOAH to be a very warm and welcoming organization and I appreciate that. I’m interested in serving a group that’s moving the dial for patients who need oral and mental healthcare in addition to overall health.
Q. What do you like about working with your fellow board members?
A. I like that people respect what you bring to the table. A lot of groups talk about diversity, but don’t actually listen to what everyone has to say. The NOAH board and leadership are diverse, representative of the population we serve, and genuinely interested in the expertise everyone provides.
Q. What do you hope to collectively accomplish during your term on the board?
I would love to see us transition out of this COVID-19 pandemic having done the very best we can in helping our patients.
I’d also like to do more advocacy work to help get through some of the financial hurdles we know impact patients and community health centers. From a broad perspective, this might be educating our community about issues to make informed decisions on public leaders or supporting efforts to address public needs in other ways.
Q. What does NOAH’s Board of Directors provide for the organization, staff, patients, and the community?
A. The board supports the executive team and other NOAH staff, while ensuring patient safety in reaching the population health goals for the communities we serve.
It is important to respect the skillset and knowledge of the NOAH team as well as understand the needs of the community so that when we make board decisions, they are informed decisions.
I feel it’s also our responsibility to ask questions. Organizations should want people on the board who ask those uncomfortable questions. When you get those questions answered, it gives people an opportunity to explain their thought process and puts us all on the same page that allows the board to move forward in a manner consistent with our responsibilities and the mission of NOAH.
I’m a supportive person who wants to understand the big picture and the overall details. Trusting the people who present us with that information is critical; which is why it’s so important to build real relationships with the board and leadership.
Q. What part of the community that NOAH serves matters to you the most personally?
A. I am passionate about helping vulnerable and underserved populations. Whether it’s elderly patients, those with disabilities, or people who face inequality due to race or gender; I think of the patients who don’t have the resources or insurance for healthcare. They come to NOAH for comprehensive oral and overall care and they know that NOAH is a place for them.
The NOAH Board of Directors is a diverse group of volunteers who contribute to the mission of transforming the health of our community. Patients from the communities we serve make up 51% of our board. Learn more about NOAH’s board of directors and how they drive the organization.
