During nearly 30 years on HHC's Board of Directors, Reverend Diane E. Lacey, elected as Vice Chair of the Board in December 2008, has been a staunch advocate for patients and workers alike.
"The importance of high quality, accessible healthcare for all people, regardless of their ability to pay -- that has been my mantra since the late '60s," she said.
A designee of the City Council, Rev. Lacey has served on HHC's Board longer than any other Director. When asked about some of her most rewarding experiences as an HHC Director, she spoke warmly of her service on the Corporation's Equal Employment Opportunity Committee.
"HHC has a strong focus on the importance of diversity and fairness in its hiring practices and those of its subcontractors," she said. "As Chair of the EEO Committee, I've been able to be part of the aggressive leadership that has ensured that we have made great progress toward meeting our diversity goals. For example, one of our contractors has reduced the job areas in which they do not employ sufficient female and minority staff from 28 job areas in 2000 to only one today. I see this type of improvement repeatedly."
Reverend Lacey was also appointed in October 2008 to chair the HHC Board's newly formed Governance Committee, which will address governance trends and evaluate the proposed appointments of corporate officers. Her past board service also included serving as Chair of both the Community Relations and Audit committees, which monitor HHC's response to community needs and fiscal accountability.
"Reverend Lacey has been of immense service to the Board over the years," said Dr. Michael A. Stocker, HHC Board Chairman. "We are very proud to have her as Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Governance Committee."
Reverend Lacey is cautiously optimistic about HHC's opportunities in the next few years.
"Of course, everyone is concerned about facing the limitations of this economic climate," she said. "But we also have political leadership in every branch of government now -- federal, state, and city -- that is committed to reform and improvement in healthcare. I think that could be a great opportunity for us in the near future."
Reverend Lacey's passion for healthcare has been born of her many and varied experiences in the field. She has held administrative roles at the Wellness Center of the Riverside Church in Manhattan, as well as St. Barnabas Hospital and the Hunts Point Multi-Service Healthcare Center in the Bronx. She has also lectured extensively about faith and healthcare on the faculties of the College of New Rochelle and New York Theological Seminary.
Currently, Reverend Lacey is Co-Pastor of the Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church, a 115 year-old multi-racial, multicultural congregation in the Lincoln Center area of Manhattan. Born in Harlem Hospital, she continues to live in the Harlem community.
January 2009
