Dear Colleagues, Partners, and Friends,

On behalf of Health Outreach Partners (HOP), I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all the meaningful and important work you do. From conducting outreach in the community, providing much-needed care to our country’s most vulnerable, or advocating for just policies, you are on the forefront of advancing the health and wellbeing of our communities. Thus, we recognize HOP’s success is based on the important work you do.

2016 has been a busy year for us. Here are a few highlights:

  • HOP launched a new Transportation Initiative funded by the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). In June, I had the opportunity to present our transportation work at the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in Washington, D.C.
  • Understanding the need to share outreach stories from the field and make available the most up-to-date information on resources, HOP debuted the Outreach Connection Blog.
  • Gearing up for HOP’s 50th Anniversary, we kicked off our new Road to Wellness: 2020 Annual Campaign.
  • We relocated to a new and improved office space for our Oakland staff. Our Deputy Director also relocated from Helena, MT to Olympia, WA.
  • I had to opportunity to visit our founding Board Chair, Sr. Maurita Sengalaub. Our visit remains one of my most memorable highlights for the year. At 98 years old, Sr. Sengalaub remains passionate as ever about creating a more equitable and healthier world. She continues to inspire us at HOP to move forward with our work.

As I look ahead to 2017, I know that there are lots of uncertainties and possible changes to the health care environment. Regardless of how things unfold, HOP will continue to strengthen and expand its work to advance health equity and improve the health of our most vulnerable and underserved communities. We remain steadfast in our commitment to create a country where all people are valued and in which equal access to health care is available to everyone, thus enriching our collective well-being.

Once again, thank you for your work and support. Best wishes to everyone this holiday season and for the new year ahead!

In community,

Oscar Gomez, CEO