Board member profile: Kari Stanley
When Kari Stanley talks about health care, passion is what you hear. As director of community benefit for Legacy Health, she works with community-based organizations to increase access to care for the underserved. Kari’s excited that Project Access NOW pursues that objective with great returns.
“People without insurance have to cobble their health care together themselves – they move from provider to provider in a very fragmented way,” Kari said. “Project Access NOW allows them to move smoothly between providers within a single referral process – it’s seamless.”
Kari enjoys highlighting another benefit of Project Access NOW: it reduces the cost of health care. “People can get health care in earlier stages of acuity, rather than wait until something serious or highly acute happens. This way, they don’t have to go to an emergency room where the cost is higher, or to get more services or treatment. It also improves the quality of care.”
Combine her education in public health and health administration with experience promoting community health in the private sector, and Kari Stanley’s contribution to the Project Access NOW board of directors becomes clear. “It was interesting to watch Project Access NOW evolve from a fledgling organization with capacity needs to a more mature one in terms of service volume, programs, and needs.”
At Legacy Health, Kari oversees grants and donations to community organizations, including Project Access NOW, so her understanding of the private funding landscape is a tremendous asset for the fund development committee. “I understand both the giving and the receiving side,” Kari said. “I know where all the funders are coming from.”
Kari originally served as a liaison between Legacy Health and Project Access NOW. Participation in the board of directors allows both Kari and Legacy greater participation and signifies the importance of the organization. In addition, thanks to Kari, Project Access NOW offices are housed at no cost by Legacy Health.
According to Kari, “As a health care system that’s active in all four counties of the Portland metro area, we like regional solutions. For us, Project Access NOW is great.”
(January 2010)
