Congratulations to the 2025 ACH Advocate of the Year, João Faustino! João was honored at the Annual Member Meeting in Washington, D.C. in March. Serving as the Associate Vice President of Government Affairs and Advocacy at Sun River Health in New York, João is a key link between Sun River and state policymakers. He’s also an Army veteran and a passionate advocate for improving the health and well-being of all New Yorkers. We recently talked with João about his work and inspiration, and how we’re all part of fostering community health.

ACH: What do you do at Sun River and what inspired you to take on this role?

JF: I am part of Sun River Health’s Government Affairs & Advocacy team, where we focus on building relationships with elected officials and their staff across the federal, state and local landscape. We stay up-to-date and hopefully ahead of any policy that affects community health centers and our patients. We quickly develop subject matter expertise on policy and the programs, functions, or implications of those policies so that we can better inform Sun River Health leadership and staff, but also speak to elected officials from a place of knowledge, sometimes educating offices in the process.

I was inspired to jump into an advocacy role because I am a product of receiving comprehensive and affordable care at community health centers. Before I ever worked at a CHC, I was a patient of a CHC. When I was younger, being in college and after graduating and working in the restaurant industry, employee sponsored health insurance wasn’t an option. I was able to get the care I needed, when I needed it, at my local community health center. My first job in a community health center was facilitating applications through the new ACA-derived state health exchange. I found myself in the position where I had my own health insurance for the first time, and as I navigated that learning curve, I was helping patients enroll and navigate that process as well. A few years later, I took a hiatus from CHCs and joined the Army as a combat medic, where I was stationed at an ambulatory care center.  I not only had the best of health care but helped provide some of that care to soldiers and family members. Not once did I ask them if they had insurance nor were folks refused imaging or medications based on lack of insurance. I have seen the haves and have-nots, I have lived it, I am inspired to do this work because I see it as a privilege to come full circle and help the organizations that cared for me when I needed it and to work for the patient population I came from. Sun River Health’s tagline is, “The care you need. The respect you deserve.” I fully embrace that ethos.

ACH: How do you advocate for health center patients? What motivates you?

JF: While I am often far removed from the clinical care space, I feel that the work I do still directly impacts patients. The state budget, the federal budget, cuts to specific public health insurances, and grant opportunities – while they may be miles away from the thoughts of a patient entering one of our health centers, there are still implications on that patient. Often [there are] implications that the folks writing the budget, laws, or policy guidance don’t fully understand themselves having never had any personal experience. I advocate for our health center patients by hopefully providing that insight and guidance from the point of view of our staff and our patients. Our team uses our voices to amplify the many who feel voiceless or lack the opportunity to sit in front of elected officials. These patients – they are my friends, family members, colleagues – that motivates me. But, they are also your friends, your family members, your colleagues – that’s also motivation. We can’t walk in everyone else’s shoes, but we should at least pause and give some thought to what that might mean.

ACH: What role does Sun River serve in the New York health care system?

JF: Sun River Health’s role in the New York Health Care system is being a constant net-positive for the State of New York. As a whole, community health centers care for 1 in 8 New Yorkers. We partner with local and state governments on public health issues from routine vaccines to pandemics. We serve any and every patient that walks through our doors, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. When someone in New York falls through the cracks of a fragmented health delivery system, Sun River Health, and the other New York CHCs, are the safety net they fall into. We provide the care, we make communities healthier, we make New York stronger. 

ACH: You serve on three ACH committees to help guide policy work for the future of the health center program. Can you talk a little bit about why this is important to you?

JF: I appreciate ACH offering these committee opportunities, I think joining these committees serves to better improve my knowledge and understanding of often complex health care programs or financial models. While on the surface this may come across as solely a personal benefit, this circles back to being able to carry this knowledge forward with true understanding when I am communicating on these topics to others, especially elected member staff. I can provide insight and guidance based on a personal knowledge base rather than on provided talking points. With these committees, others in the room have unique and specific experience and knowledge, my goal is to not only learn from them, but carry that knowledge forward for dissemination. Hopefully my presence brings a foil to balance out the room and provides a novel look at often muddled processes.

ACH: What do people need to know about the importance of advocacy?

JF: I think the most important thing that people need to know about advocacy is that everyone is already an advocate. Organizational leaders, providers, staff, patients, board members – they may not have advocacy in their title, but they do advocacy each and every day. Every time a staff member checks in a patient and answers a question, they are advocating for community health centers. Every time a provider helps a patient dial in their medication and provides instruction on their condition, they are advocating for community health centers. Every time a care manager helps a member of our community enroll in insurance, get housing assistance, or networked with any other service, they are advocating for community health centers. Everyone has a story worth sharing and there are plenty of people that not only want to hear that story – they need to hear that story.