On Board: New Directors

This past fall, three new members joined the Duffy Health Center Board of Directors. Each had a meaningful connection to Duffy Health Center prior to joining the Board and have chosen to deepen their commitment to our mission through Board service. (Learn more about Board member David Hale on page 11.) We are grateful to have them lend their experience and expertise!

Nicole Ouellette, Esq.

Nicole Ouellette is a criminal defense attorney working with the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS, also known as the public defender’s office). She’s long been aware of Duffy Health Center’s services given her holistic approach with her clients. “I’ve had a general sense of what Duffy does for some time, even beyond medical care. The services have been really valuable to my clients; I’ve consistently been struck by Duffy’s approach, which is so person-focused.”

“Duffy Health Center isn’t just a health center. It’s a place where people can be heard, and seen, and have a lot of different needs met,” she observes.

Nicole does a lot of storytelling in her work, painting the story of individuals who have gone through difficult times or made poor choices but have now worked hard to turn their lives around. Her goal is to be “the best lawyer money can’t buy,” and she truly enjoys the opportunity to get to know her clients, tell their stories, and advocate for them. “So much of the time we see a lack of proper assessments for medical and mental health issues. It directly relates to the work that Duffy is doing. Our shared clients sometimes end up on the wrong path out of desperation.”

In her role as a Board member, Nicole hopes to use her connections to bring increased regional awareness of Duffy Health Center’s work. She is also a member of our Advocacy Committee, and shares, “There’s a very strong overlap with CPCS and Duffy, so whenever I’m trying to effectuate change for my clients through my work at CPCS, it’s also going to impact Duffy patients.”

Michael Sweeney

Michael Sweeney comes to Duffy as a retiree, but not before he worked with our partners at Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) for 35 years, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer. He was present when Duffy Health Center first began as a “clinic in a closet” at the NOAH Shelter (now St. Joseph House).

He explains, “Through running the shelter, the HAC team recognized how quickly minor medical issues could worsen and be exacerbated by homelessness. We recognized that we didn’t ‘do’ health care, so we allowed volunteers to come in and provide medical care. That evolved into Duffy Health Center.”

Years later, Michael still recognizes the important intersection between housing and health. “Without housing, sometimes you can’t even get health care. And without health care, you’re left at your lowest point, and what can you do? Those two things are just so critical.” His lifelong dedication to serving this population - which he does through several volunteer roles - made it an easy decision to join Duffy Health Center’s Board of Directors.

Michael shares that despite his familiarity with Duffy, he was struck by the expansive scope of our work, which he learned about through the Board interview process. “The work has gone beyond basic health care for the homeless with added services,” he says. “Making sure that recovery services, for example, are attainable and welcoming is so valuable.”

“We’re all in this together, it’s all our community, and it matters to all of us if people in our community can’t get their health care needs met,” Michael says. “Even if you don’t know them, it matters. It has an effect on our whole community.”