WASHINGTON, D.C. — August 3, 2026 — As Advocates for Community Health (ACH) celebrates its fifth anniversary, the organization is honoring five health center leaders whose work embodies the bold, forward-thinking leadership that has defined ACH since its founding.
The five recipients of the 2026 David B. Vliet Changemaker Award are being recognized during National Health Center Week, August 2–8, for transforming care, strengthening communities, and expanding access to high-quality healthcare.
“Five years ago, ACH was founded on the belief that health centers should help shape the future of our healthcare system,” said Amanda Pears Kelly, CEO of ACH. “As we celebrate this milestone, it is fitting to recognize five Changemakers who are putting that vision into action. Each is challenging conventional thinking, breaking through silos and building stronger systems around the needs of patients and communities.”
The Visionary: Kerry Hydash, MPA
President and CEO, Family HealthCare Network; Board President, Advocates for Community Health
Kerry Hydash leads Family HealthCare Network, a comprehensive healthcare system operating 50 sites across three counties in California’s Central Valley. The network serves more than 255,000 patients and provides more than 1.2 million visits annually.
Hydash is recognized as a Visionary for expanding the traditional boundaries of healthcare. From advancing dignified food-access and literacy programs to advocating in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., she has developed a comprehensive model that responds to the clinical, social, and economic factors affecting health.
As founding Board President of ACH, Hydash has also helped shape ACH’s inception, vision, and growth. Her leadership has propelled the organization forward and focused on bold, forward-looking policies that strengthen community health centers, expand access to care, and ensure health center leaders have a meaningful voice in the future of healthcare.
The Trailblazer: Kevin Mattson
President and CEO, San Ysidro Health
For 26 years, Kevin Mattson has helped transform San Ysidro Health into one of the nation’s largest community health centers, now serving more than 162,000 patients across more than 52 sites.
Mattson is recognized as a Trailblazer for scaling the programs, workforce, and infrastructure needed to meet growing community needs while keeping San Ysidro Health’s mission and the dignity of every patient at the center of its work. As he prepares to retire this year, his legacy can be seen in the generations of patients, employees and health center leaders influenced by his example.
Kevin is a founding member of ACH, serving on the Board of Directors and various committees in support of ACH’s mission and larger vision. A true trailblazer, it was Kevin’s vision and leadership that helped to build and launch ACH, helping to drive a new and bold voice for health centers across the nation.
The Prevention Hero: Mari G. Millet
President and CEO, Morris Heights Health Center
With more than 40 years of healthcare leadership, Mari G. Millet has consistently looked beyond clinical walls to address the conditions that shape health long before a patient enters an exam room.
Millet is recognized as a Prevention Hero for advancing community gardens, nutrition programs, social connection, and supportive services for children, families, and older adults. Her leadership reflects a belief that preventing disease requires addressing the whole person, including physical, social, emotional and intellectual well-being. Morris Heights’ groundbreaking program, AgeWell, meets aging populations where they are and delivers community interventions within their neighborhoods.
As a founding member of ACH’s Board of Directors, Mari has brought a vitally important clinician’s perspective from day one, remaining laser-focused on patients and communities—a lens that continues to guide ACH’s advocacy, vision, and mission.
The Community Connector: Rashad A. Collins
President and CEO, Unity Health Care
Rashad Collins has spent more than 15 years building relationships among health centers, community organizations, policymakers, and healthcare partners to expand access and strengthen mission-driven care. Rashad has been a dedicated leader at all levels of the health center community, from state/regional primary care associations, to local health centers, to national organizations, all serving a bigger collective mission in service our patients and community.
Before joining Unity Health Care in Washington, D.C., Collins led Neighborcare Health, Seattle’s largest community health center, where he worked to strengthen financial sustainability, modernize operations, and expand care for more than 60,000 patients. At Unity, he is continuing to build partnerships and connect organizations that too often operate separately, helping create a more coordinated and accessible system for District residents.
The System Integrator: Jon Calvin, FACHE, CPA, CMA, CHFP
Chief Executive Officer, Lone Star Circle of Care
Jon Calvin has helped Lone Star Circle of Care build an integrated system that brings primary care, behavioral health, and community-based services together around the needs of patients.
Calvin is recognized as a System Integrator for forging partnerships across sectors and transforming traditional care sites into broader community health hubs. That approach is reflected in initiatives such as the revitalization of a former school in Taylor, Texas, as a center offering healthcare alongside behavioral health and social services. His leadership demonstrates how health centers can reduce fragmentation and make care easier for patients to navigate.
Jon is innovative, driven, and dedicated to fulfilling the mission. His leadership and impact are evident in the strength and success of Lone Star, and he serves as a national model to maximize impact and success for patients and communities.
“These honorees show that meaningful change rarely happens within a single program, organization or policy area,” Pears Kelly said. “It happens when leaders break through silos, bring people together, and remain focused on the communities they serve.”
Their work also underscores the importance of strong federal policies that give community health centers the stability and flexibility to innovate. As policymakers consider the future of the Community Health Center Fund, the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and investments in the healthcare workforce, ACH is urging Congress to protect and strengthen the resources that make comprehensive, community-based care possible.
The recognition is part of ACH’s fifth-anniversary celebration, highlighting five leaders whose work reflects the organization’s founding commitments: bold leadership, collaboration, innovation, advocacy, and access to care. Throughout National Health Center Week, ACH will spotlight one Changemaker each day and share the lessons their leadership offers for the future of community health.
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About the David B. Vliet Changemaker Award
Named for David B. Vliet, MBA, retired CEO of LifeLong Medical Care and a founding member of Advocates for Community Health, the award honors health professionals who advance healthcare access, champion high-impact initiatives, and provide exceptional service to patients and communities.
About Advocates for Community Health
Established in 2021, Advocates for Community Health is a nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization of community health centers dedicated to forward-thinking and ambitious federal policy and advocacy on behalf of health centers, their patients, and their communities nationwide. Learn more at advocatesforcommunityhealth.org