At the Michigan Primary Care Association’s (MPCA) 31st annual awards ceremony Oct. 12, the non-profit association representing Community Health Centers honored Shirley Lee of Cassopolis Family Clinic as the 2010 Ralph C. Mills Health Center Board Member of the Year.

Each year, MPCA gives this award to a Community Health Center board member who exemplifies dedication and commitment to providing quality health care to all Michigan residents.

“Over the past 18 years, Shirley Lee has been a dedicated board member of Cassopolis Family Clinic. She has supported the clinic as it has grown from a private practice, to a Rural Health Center, to a Federally Qualified Health Center ‘Look-a-Like’, to a fully-designated Federally Qualified Health Center,” said Laura Murphy-Rizk, operations director, Cassopolis Family Clinic.

“Cassopolis Family Clinic now operates multiple sites serving 9,000 patients in Cass and southeast Berrien Counties. Shirley has provided insight and supported the growth of services by listening to the community and responding to its needs.”

Cassopolis Family Clinic is one of Michigan’s 31 Community Health Center organizations that together operate more than 160 sites across the state, providing care to nearly 600,000 patients each year regardless of insurance status or income. 

They are part of a nationwide network of 1,250 Community Health Centers that 20 million people call their health care home.

That number is expected to double within the next five years as $11 billion in funding under the Affordable Care Act is awarded to Health Centers. 

Community Health Center services are tailored to meet the unique needs of patients and surrounding communities, providing primary care, dental care, behavioral health care, pharmacy services and much more.