NASHUA, N.H. (PRWEB) November 28, 2022
Harbor Care’s Board of Directors has selected Henry Och as president and Chief Executive Officer. He will assume the day-to-day leadership of the company, which provides vital services, including housing and healthcare, to more than 5,000 NH community members statewide. Och has a substantial track record in the health care and non-profit sectors focused on advancing health equity and building health care delivery systems that assure access to crucial primary and preventative care services. He succeeds Peter Kelleher, who retired at the end of October after 40 years of service with Harbor Care.
“After a nationwide search, Harbor Care chose Henry because he demonstrated above all other candidates the ability to bring Harbor Care’s vision - where everyone gets to live safe, stable, and healthy lives, filled with purpose, respect and dignity – to life. Henry’s 20 plus years of experience and deep expertise in healthcare administration and his leadership as a US Army veteran and a commissioned Infantry officer with the current rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Massachusetts Army National Guard will enable Harbor Care to achieve its goal of integrating healthcare and social services with housing, so that NH’s most underserved and underrepresented community members have the greatest opportunities to succeed.”, said Dan Sallet, Harbor Care’s Chairman of its Board of Directors. “Throughout his tenure as Harbor Care’s chief operations officer since 2020, Henry shone as a leader and collaborator with an eye on expanding services in ways that ensured NH’s population, including communities from diverse backgrounds, had equitable access to high quality and culturally proficient care. The Board has no doubt that in this new role as president and CEO, Henry will build upon Harbor Care’s legacy as a pioneer in ways to end and prevent homelessness.”
Born in Guatemala and raised in New Jersey and Massachusetts, Och brings his own experience in recognizing and understanding the role culture plays in health care and adapting strategies to meet community and patient needs. Och completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell with a concentration in Management Information Systems. He has a master's degree from the Harvard University Extension School and a master's degree in Business Administration with a Healthcare Management concentration from the University of Massachusetts. He is pursuing his Doctorate in Leadership Psychology (PsyD) from William James College.
Before joining Harbor Care, Och served as Chief of Operations and Chief Information Officer at the Lowell Community Health Center in Lowell, MA. From 2010 to 2014 he also served as Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts, where he instructed graduate students in Health Informatics and Project Management. While in the US Army, Och served as an operations officer at ISAF Headquarters in Afghanistan in 2014, for which he was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Och also served in Kosovo, where he worked with the Kosovo Police Services to identify and stop human trafficking operations.
“Harbor Care’s integrated approach to care innovative and very well positioned to be a national model. Our model addresses primary care, substance use, mental health, housing, and social needs together, in an integrated way that is uniquely able to remove barriers to care and increase patient engagement”, said Och. “Recognizing our successes and past challenges as an organization, I look forward to working collaboratively with all our community in expanding and elevating this model locally, throughout the state and nationally.”
Och is well-recognized for his leadership and achievements, including national recognition by the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, the National Association of Community Health Centers, and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. He volunteers his time and expertise as a member of several non-profit boards focused on the well-being of children and families, youth support, mentorship and empowerment, and social and economic justice.
About Harbor Care
Drawing on decades of experience, Harbor Care helps at-risk families solve some of life’s most challenging issues, particularly those that lead to homelessness. Through best-practice, data-driven programs, Harbor Care provides housing and integrated healthcare to help 5,000 people live healthy, successful lives. Harbor Care is the largest supplier of supportive housing in NH, and, in its primary service area (Greater Nashua), the non-profit organization has effectively ended homelessness among veterans and people with HIV/AIDS. Harbor Care also operates a home healthcare organization and the state’s only stand-alone health center for the homeless, with primary care, dental services, substance use treatment, and behavioral healthcare offered to all in need. For more information about Harbor Care, visit harborcarenh.org.
