For Immediate Release
October 10, 2018
Contact: NJPCA Communications Coordinator, Toni Granato at 609-689-9930 ex. 19 or tgranato@njpca.org
CompleteCare Health Network CEO Inspires Employees to Move Up the Ladder
CompleteCare Health Network, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) throughout the state, and NJPCA, the association for FQHCs in New Jersey joined together today in support of Train Up Day to encourage career development and workforce opportunities within Community Health Centers. Train Up Day provides a chance to share available positions and job openings for employees to grow within their organization. FQHCs like CompleteCare Health Network have many real-life examples of employees who have moved up the ladder. CompleteCare’s President and CEO, J. Curtis Edwards is one such example. Mr. Edwards runs one of the largest FQHCs in the state of New Jersey, which operates twenty Health Centers in Cumberland, Gloucester and Cape May Counties and serves over 60,000 patients annually.
“I started as an outreach worker, sharing information about CompleteCare with those who needed us. I quickly fell in love with this work and the organization and when I saw the difference I could make in people’s lives I knew I would be here for a long time. As I gained more experience I started doing more within the organization. I soon came to oversee outreach and government relations. Then I moved on to facilities and from there I was named the President and CEO of the organization. I always tell our staff to work hard, stay engaged and you’ll move up. I am a great example of what is possible,” said J. Curtis Edwards, President and CEO of CompleteCare Health Network.
Long before Mr. Edwards even knew what an FQHC was, he was a patient of a neighboring FQHC in South Jersey. Mr. Edwards joined CompleteCare in 2004 as part of a Robert Wood Johnson project to bring together leaders in local communities to improve public health. In this capacity, he led CompleteCare’s outreach efforts in an area where he lived throughout his life.
In the years that followed, Mr. Edwards grew the outreach program and orchestrated CompleteCare’s community relations and government relations initiatives. In 2012, Mr. Edwards transferred into the role of Executive Vice President, during which time he oversaw the establishment of five new Health Centers and began work on the organization’s largest and most ambitious project – a full-service health campus located on Sherman Avenue in Vineland. In 2015, Mr. Edwards became President and CEO. He continues to live in one of the largest communities that CompleteCare serves and to this day he, his wife and his two daughters are still Health Center patients.
“Upward mobility is the cornerstone of the Community Health Center employee experience. Curtis is a true inspiration to the employees at CompleteCare Health Network. As the CEO, it is clear that all current patients benefit from the fact that he knows what it is like to be a patient as well as working in a variety of positions along the professional ladder. Curtis gives new meaning to ‘Patient tested: CEO approved,” said Jillian Hudspeth, New Jersey Primary Care Association (NJPCA) President and CEO.
A variety of career opportunities exist at FQHCs. In total, the 24 New Jersey FQHCs employ over 3,000 employees, including 1,858 medical professionals at 134 sites. FQHC career positions include nurses, physician assistants, doctors, medical assistants, lab technicians/phlebotomists, dentists, social workers, behavioral health counselors, security guards, information technology experts, human resource directors, chief operating officers, billers, and community health workers.
Federally Qualified Health Centers are unique places for healthcare professionals and aspiring workers to grow their career, share skills, and uplift communities. A list of job openings at CompleteCare Health Network can be found here: https://secure4.saashr.com/ta/6145782.jobs?ShowAllOpenings.
About the New Jersey Primary Care Association
The New Jersey Primary Care Association (NJPCA) is an advocate for Community Health Centers as well as a provider of comprehensive education, training, and technical assistance to Health Centers in New Jersey. NJPCA currently has 24 Health Centers, one of which is a look-alike and 134 satellite sites providing healthcare services to over 500,000 people in New Jersey. For more information about NJPCA, please visit njpca.org.
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) also known as Community Health Centers are in every state across the nation. FQHCs are authorized under Section 330(A) of the Public Health Services Act to provide healthcare to the medically underserved. Many Community Health Centers and their sites are specially designated to serve the needs of special populations including homeless populations, public housing residents, migrant and seasonal farm workers, veterans and school-aged children. For more information about the HRSA Health Center Program, please visit bphc.hrsa.gov/about/index.html.
Pictured: Curtis Edwards, President and CEO of CompleteCare Health Network.
