Washington, D.C. (October 4, 2022) – The Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) is pleased to announce Praveen Thadani, president of Priority Health based in Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Pastor George Nicholas, senior pastor at Lincoln Memorial United Methodist Church based in Buffalo, New York, as recipients of the 2022 Bernard J. Tyson Health Equity Award. The annual award honors the late Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson and his commitment to addressing disparities in coverage and care for all Americans.
“Every day, Praveen and George exemplify the same passion for health equity that Bernard Tyson instilled around the world,” said ACHP President and CEO Ceci Connolly. “Their commitment to advocating for a fair, equitable health system that looks out for every member of society emulate Bernard’s convictions, and I am proud to recognize them with an award that continues to honor his legacy and impact.”
Awardee Praveen Thadani’s career-long mission has been to reduce health inequities and address systemic societal issues such as the social determinants of health that impact individual and community health. Since joining Priority Health in 2021, he has kept the company’s vision at the forefront: to make personalized health care more accessible, affordable, equitable and exceptional.
“I am honored and truly grateful that the good work of Priority Health team members is being recognized,” said Thadani. “Bernard Tyson set the expectation for delivering affordable, high-quality health care to every American. We believe the only way to impact our communities is to focus on what is really at the root of health inequities. We all have the right to live our best lives regardless of the circumstances to which we are born, live, work and age.”
Awardee Pastor George Nicholas’ passion for health equity led him to become a founding member of African American Health Equity Task Force, which birthed the Buffalo Center for Health Equity. The center’s mission is to eliminate race, economic and geographic-based health inequities by changing the social and economic conditions that cause illness and shorten lives. Pastor George serves as the center’s chairman and as an executive committee member of The Population Health Collaborative.
“I appreciate this award as it encourages me that the work we are doing makes an impact,” said Nicholas. “I also encourage all to make health equity a priority in America, to build collaborations and to make proper investments in change. We need to reshape and restructure how we function to eliminate race-based disparities.”
The awards were presented at a dinner in Washington, DC on September 29. A charitable donation was made in honor of each award winner. The Bernard J. Tyson Health Equity Award was established in 2021.
About ACHP
The Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) represents the nation’s top-performing nonprofit health companies, which serve tens of millions of Americans in 36 states and D.C. ACHP member plans collaborate with providers on high-quality coverage and care — leading the industry in practical reforms.
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