About Us

West Virginians for Affordable Health Care is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization under IRC 501(c)(4) organized in November, 2005 by a diverse group of individuals concerned about the rising cost of health care and health care insurance coverage.  We are funded by membership dues, public donations, and grants. No member is paid for serving on our Board of Directors.  Read our Guiding Principles.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dan Foster, MD,  President Retired surgeon and currently a physician administrator at CAMC and a member of the West Virginia State Senate	Sam Hickman, Vice President Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers West Virginia Chapter
David Forinash, Secretary Retired health care administrator and former Deputy Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources	Sally K. Richardson, Treasurer President Emeritus, WVU Institute for Health Policy Research and former national Medicaid Director
Beth Baldwin Nurse Practitioner and President of the West Virginia Nurses Association	Rachel Dash, ACSW* Rachel represents the Temple Israel and is an Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry at WVU’s School of Medicine
Barbara Fleischauer Member from Monongahela County, West Virginia House of Delegates	Rev. Mr. Todd Garland* A deacon in the Catholic Church and Director of Justice and Life Office for the Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
Brandon Merritt Recent graduate of Tulane University with a Masters in Public Health. Now working as an epidemiologist at the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department.	Rev. James Patterson Executive Director, Partnership of African-American Churches
Kenny Perdue President of the West Virginia AFL-CIO	Dr. George Pickett Past West Virginia State Health Director
Craig Robinson CEO of Cabin Creek Clinic	Tom Simms Retired state health department official
Emily Spieler Dean and Edwin Hadley Professor of Law, Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts and former Commissioner of the West Virginia Workers’ Compensation Fund	Kathleen Stoll Deputy Executive Director of Families USA
Gary Zuckett* Executive Director of the West Virginia Citizens Action Group

* Organizational Board Member

Board Advisor

Margaret Chapman Pomponio Executive Director of West Virginia FREE

Staff

Perry Bryant, Executive Director Founder of WVAHC, former member of the PEIA Finance Board and former Chair of the Self Management Committee of the West Virginia Health Improvement Institute.

Renate Pore, Director of Health Care Policy Staff member of the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy and former Director of the Governor’s Cabinet on Children and Families

Lisa Diehl, Regional Coordinator, North Central W. Va. Long time community organizer and Co founder and former President of WV Women Work!

Gibbs Kinderman, Regional Coordinator, Southern W. Va Former administrator for a health care clinic and former director of three non-commercial radio stations in Southern West Virginia and Virginia

Ashley Adams, Regional Coordinator, Eastern Panhandle A recent graduate from WVU School of Social Work with a Master degree and former Executive Director of the Eastern Panhandle Habitat for Humanity