Celebrating a Local Public Health Champion

Sally Fabian-Oresic, R.N., M.S.N., recently retired after a 50-year career in public health, including 16 years as Executive Director of the Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP) and 7 years as Executive Director of the Ann Silverman Community Health Clinic (ASCHC). The Bucks CMS is a founding member of BCHIP and has contributed to support ASCHC. BCMS Script caught up with Sally here:

Script: What was your involvement in BCHIP?

BCHIP effectively identifies gaps in health services, works to address them, and improves the health status of Bucks County residents.

When BCHIP was first being developed in 1994 as a collaboration of Bucks County’s acute care hospitals, the Medical Society, and the local health department, I was working at the Bucks County Health Department (BCHD). The BCHD Director assigned me to be our representative to BCHIP’s Wellness Partnership. It was a new and dynamic way to work. We continually addressed health prevention and promotion countywide. When BCHIP decided to hire an Executive Director, I jumped at the opportunity.

During my time there, BCHIP achieved smoke-free campuses at all of Bucks County’s acute care hospital campuses, developed flu clinics and cancer screenings, and expanded resources to address Intimate Partner Violence. We established the BCHIP Adult Health Clinic and Doctors Care Clinic, but the greatest challenge was securing funding to maintain those two free clinics for the uninsured.

Script: How did you transition to work at ASCHC?

In 2015, I was invited to provide consultation services to the ASCHC Clinic and Board. After obtaining the BCHIP Board Chair’s approval, I began examining ASCHC operations. ASCHC’s mission is to provide healthcare to those in need in the community. I wanted to be part of an organization providing healthcare services and making a difference in individuals’ lives. I became the Executive Director at ASCHC in 2016.

At this time, ASCHC is the only free clinic in Bucks County and provides medical, dental, behavioral health, and social services to low-income, uninsured county residents. The care of those without any access to ongoing health services is a critical need. ASCHC serves more than 2,000 individual patients – children and adults—through more than 5,700 clinic visits. The majority of ASCHC patients are hardworking residents of Bucks County who do not have access to health insurance due to their type of employment or lack of citizenship.

While I was at ASCHC, we developed a behavioral health program, added new medical examination rooms, improved the dental space, and expanded our focus of care toward a “wrap around approach.” The greatest challenge was providing ongoing healthcare to clinic patients during the COVID pandemic.

Script: What is your takeaway?

BCHIP and ASCHC are unique organizations that engage community leaders to address unmet needs of our neighbors. Leaders work tirelessly to help those who might otherwise fall through the cracks. We are extremely fortunate in Bucks County to have leaders— many of whom are volunteers—who care so deeply about the needs of others.