About the Council

Statement of Principles and Mission

We recognize and believe that:

  • Homelessness is unacceptable.
  • Every person has the right to adequate food, housing, clothing and health care.
  • All people have the right to participate in the decisions affecting their lives.
  • Contemporary homelessness is the product of conscious social and economic policy decisions that have retreated from a commitment to insuring basic life necessities for all people.
  • The struggle to end homelessness and alleviate its consequences takes many forms, including efforts to insure adequate housing, health care, and access to meaningful work.

The mission of the Council is to help bring about reform of the health care system to best serve the needs of people who are homeless, to work in alliance with others whose broader purpose is to eliminate homelessness, and to provide support to Council members.

Consistent with our Mission, we:

  • Advocate for universal health care and for the improvement of current systems intended to serve people who are poor and homeless;
  • Research critical issues;
  • Train and organize health care providers, service agencies, and homeless people themselves to improve care;
  • Publish newsletters, monographs, action alerts, policy statements, training videos and books; and
  • Collaborate with a broad range of public and private entities interested in the problems of health care and homelessness.

Board of Directors

  • Francis Afram-Gyening, MPH, MBA, FACHE, Cleveland, OH
  • Thomas Andrews, BS, Atlanta, GA
  • Nicholas Apostoleris, PhD, Fitchburg, MA
  • Barbara Conanan, RN, New York, NY
  • Bob Donovan, MD, Cincinnati, OH, President
  • Eddie Estrada, BA, Riverside, CA
  • Doreen Fadus, Springfield, MA
  • Elaine Fox, MA, Philadelphia, PA
  • Amy Grassette, Worcester, MA, Secretary
  • Jean Hochron, MPH, Rockville, MD
  • Timothy Johnson, BA, BBA, Houston, TX, Treasurer
  • Kevin Lindamood, MSW, Baltimore, MD
  • Ulysses Maner, CPS, Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • Brooks Ann McKinney, MSW, Raleigh, NC
  • Gregory Morris, PA-C, Colorado Springs, CO
  • Michelle Nance, San Francisco, CA
  • Heidi Nelson, FACHE, Hyannis, MA
  • John Parvensky, JD, Denver, CO
  • Randy Pinelli, Stockton, CA
  • Marianne Savarese, RN, BSN, Manchester, NH
  • Tom Stubberud, San Diego, CA
  • Bobby Watts, MPH, MS, New York, NY, Vice President
  • Barbara Wismer, MD, MPH, San Francisco, CA