Healthy Communities
Photo/Edd Cote
Frances Anthes
Title: President and CEO
Company: Family Health Center of Worcester
Location: Worcester
Frances Anthes joined the Family Health Center of Worcester in 1991 and was named president and CEO in 1997. She oversees the nonprofit, which has a staff of more than 250. She began her career as a teacher at Worcester New School and saw firsthand the impact of health on children’s academic performance. From that time, she’s made supporting health within the community, particularly for at-risk populations, a priority. Anthes also helped establish the Helen A. Bowditch health Center at Elm Park Community School, which is the state’s first school-based health care center that was also open to the public.
Who is your most influential role model, and why?
As a child during the 50s and 60s, I grew up with traditional female role models and the expectation that I would work as a teacher, nurse or secretary. The progressive movement of the 60s inspired my respect for public service and the importance of government in improving people lives. As my work life began, I sought positions that reflected these values and relished the opportunity to work in more alternative settings and with leaders like the current Massachusetts Secretary of Education, Paul Reville, who helped me to understand how important it is to think broadly about what we are trying to accomplish. My most influential role model, however, was Marie McCarthy Kaye, my predecessor at Family Health. Marie’s vision for how the Family Health Center could assume a new role with the closing of Worcester City Hospital and her skills in making that vision a reality are unsurpassed in my experience.
Why are you good at what you do?
The challenges in the current health care environment to provide a high-quality outcome with a low level of resources demand the creativity of a skilled and dedicated team of professionals in a strong organization. I am privileged to work within a high performance team that is supported by a strong and committed consumer-majority board of directors. I think they rely on me to be hard-working and persistent but flexible enough to easily see many facets of the issues we face.
How does your organization give back to the community, and what role have you played in those efforts?
Family Health Center of Worcester provides high-quality, culturally competent, comprehensive health care to all Worcester area residents, regardless of their ability to pay, so our very mission and reason for existence is to improve the health of our community by serving any and all who need health care.
As president and CEO, my role and responsibility to the board of directors is to ensure that Family Health responds to community needs; plans, budgets and implements effective health services and programs; complies with all federal, state and local requirements and regulations; and evaluates and improves on an on-going basis.
Our efforts are focused on providing quality medical, dental and mental health care with a special focus on the most vulnerable populations and a complimentary goal of training medical, dental and mental health professions to provide high-quality care to the diverse patient populations we serve.
When the stress level gets too high, what’s your secret remedy?
Perspective, a sense of humor, yoga and a good novel.
How have you tried to balance your career and your personal life?
I put a lot of energy into both my work and my family. It has always been important to me to have both parties know how much I value each aspect of my life.
My children have heard me talk about my work all their lives.
They had to learn that I might be the last mother to pick them up after practice but that I probably had an interesting story about what had been going on at work!
Those who I work with and for know that they can count on my commitment to getting the job done and done well but also know that I value, plan and expect time with my family.
As a leader in an organization, balancing work and family is an important value that I model and share with others so that they can make it work within their own lives.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments