e h t o t G N I S I R
E G N E L L A CH health care to s s e c c a s d o o ives neighborh g z ri a d n e rm A By Kathryn Reeve Wendy
endy Armendariz has been working toward better health equity and supporting the health and social needs of Arizonans for nearly 20 years. She has dedicated her career to public health, and her ability to transform organizations and meet needs continues to accelerate. For nearly 10 years, Armendariz, chief executive officer of Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health (NOAH), has led her team from a small and determined group into the fourth-largest community health center in Maricopa County. As health care challenges and opportunities present themselves, as they did in 2020, Armendariz and her team rise to the challenge, focused on the needs of the communities they serve. NOAH is a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center with nine locations throughout Maricopa County. More than 350 passionate employees, from medical doctors and dentists to community resource and support staff, deliver on NOAH’s promise of high-quality, affordable health care for all. NOAH delivers on this promise for 40,000 patients because individuals and partners in the community believe in the mission and see the results. NOAH’s model is comprehensive, wholeperson care. Traditional medical practices offer one type of service. Because health and wellness are rarely isolated, NOAH doesn’t just treat one thing but is focused on addressing underlying issues to support proactive and preventative care. NOAH offers internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, prenatal care, nutrition services, psychiatry, counseling and behavioral health, dental and community resources. “We don’t have small goals here at
NOAH,” Armendariz says. “I am amazed every day at the work our NOAH team does for our patients, and to reach those who aren’t our patients yet but need our services. Every member of our growing team knows the job is important and that our patients deserve the best possible care, and they always find a way.” In 2020 every business, organization and individual learned to adapt to the global pandemic. Under Armendariz’s leadership, NOAH responded by transitioning from 100% in-person medical visits to 100% telehealth medical visits in two weeks. In addition to medical visits, NOAH’s community resource and behavioral health teams also transitioned to virtual visits with people, many desperately in need of everything NOAH could offer. “One of the things I love most about our team — and there is a lot — is that they are part of NOAH because they Wendy Armendariz has served as the CEO of the care about the community nonprofit organization Neighborhood Outreah Access to and serving the underserved Health (NOAH) for nearly 10 years. (Photos courtesy of NOAH) population, often overlooked by services and accessibilfor patients: psychiatry. From operational ity in our increasingly tech-centered world,” and workflow considerations to staffing and Armendariz says. integration, she was committed to NOAH “People needed basic needs met. They patients having access to full psychiatric needed food. They needed to know where to services. The plan was for psychiatry to launch turn to feel safe. They needed health insurance in early 2020, and despite juggling health care when their job disappeared. We didn’t want transitions, PPE shortages and staffing flexanyone to be left behind.” ibility during that time, NOAH’s psychiatric Leading into 2020, Armendariz worked services launched in May 2020. for more than a year to launch a new service Then came COVID-19 testing and vaccines,
22 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / SEPTEMBER 2021
