2023 inweekly POWER LIST

4. Chandra Smiley

CEO/Executive Director, Community Health NWFL

Chandra Smiley firmly believes everyone deserves access to quality and affordable health care. As Community Health Northwest Florida's CEO, she ensures that happens in Northwest Florida.

Community Health is the primary health care provider for low-income families on Medicaid. Roughly 60% of its patients (93,000) receive Medicaid coverage, and uninsured account for another 19%. Smiley wants to care for even more.

"The population is 500,000, and 12-13% of that is uninsured," she told Inweekly. "Just in uninsured alone, we're scratching the surface of the need. We're growing and expanding because there's a need for us."

Community Health ranks among the titans in economic impact in the region. Its economic impact increased to a record $85.9 million last year. To put its massive growth in perspective, consider its economic impact barely surpassed $15 million in 2013 and fell short of $40 million five

Community Health devotes a significant number of resources to patients in the underserved 32505, 32506 and 32526 ZIP codes and the homeless population.

In 2018, it established its main site in the 32505 ZIP code, renovating the historic Allie Yniestra Elementary School on Jackson Street.

"We know 32505 is one of those ZIP codes with all kinds of challenges—crime, high school graduation rates, unemployment rate," Smiley said.

The 32505 ZIP code includes C.A. Weis Elementary, where Community Health partnered seven years ago with Escambia County Public Schools, Children's Home Society and the University of West Florida to transition C.A. Weis into a Community Partnership School. The partners signed a 30-year agreement for C.A. Weis and just inked another 30year partnership for Pine Forest High School. Pine Forest is located in the 32526 ZIP code targeted by Community Health.

"We just knew those ZIP codes were ones we weren't really touching, and we know there are high-poverty schools with a high percentage of free and reduced meal students," Smiley said.

Since it opened its clinic at Pine Forest High in January, a Community Health pediatrician has examined an average of seven patients a day, five days a week. Its pediatrician at Weis averages seeing 13-15 patients per day.

A contributor to its rising economic impact is the number of homeless treated by Community Health physicians. The health care provider nearly doubled the number of homeless treated in 2022 from the previous year. The Community Health mobile van visits homeless providers such as Alfred Washburn Center, Bright Bridge and Heavenly Blessing at least once a week.

The mobile van reduces barriers to care— the No. 1 goal for Community Health according to its 2023-28 strategic plan. Other patient experience goals include creating empowerment, engagement and satisfaction, expanding clinical services and expanding nonclinical services aimed at addressing social determinants of health. Smiley considers each goal to be sustainable for Community Health.

"The worst thing in the world is to be a flash in the pan, to set up and only be there for two years," she said. "Whatever we do has to be sustainable. We have to be in it for the long haul. We have to be committed."

Commitment to the Community Health mission is never an issue for Smiley. She wakes up each morning knowing her purpose in life is to provide health care to the underserved.

"This is my purpose," she said. "This is why I was put here."