Sonja Bachus, Senior Vice President, PCA and HCCN Relations, with the National Association of Community Health Centers

Pioneers in Health

Pioneers in Health Episode 12, November 21, 2024 – Sonja Bachus BBA MJ CHCEF, Senior Vice President, PCA and HCCN Relations, National Association of Community Health Centers.

Kansas native Sonja W. Bachus, BBA, MJ, CHCEF, will transition as of December 2024 from her role as CEO of the Community Care Network of Kansas (CCNKS) to serve as Senior Vice President, Primary Care Association and Health Center Controlled Network Relations, with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).

A transformational leader, Ms. Bachus brings to the role deep roots in the Community Health Center Movement and more than 20 years of experience working across the healthcare spectrum. Her selection underscores NACHC’s commitment to partnering with critical stakeholders to work toward measurable change for the movement.

Through her leadership as CEO of CCNKS, the network developed key legislative and agency relationships resulting in a 34% increase in state grant funding and a 72% increase in capital improvement grant funding available to member health centers, which serve one in nine people across the state. Ms. Bachus led a multi-agency e􀀃ort which secured $10M in grant funding over five years for five member clinics to launch and/or expand integrated behavioral health in primary care clinics, and she launched an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) to pursue value-based contracts with seven of the network’s FQHC/LAL members.

Prior to her tenure in Kansas, Ms. Bachus served as the CEO of Greater Baden Medical Services (GBMS), a Maryland Community Health Center that serves 20,000 patients. While at GBMS Ms. Bachus led a financial and operational turnaround, which resulted in a 48% increase in annual revenue, an over 80% increase in days cash on hand, a 60% increase in 340B program usage, and professional advancement for 20% of internal team members.

Ms. Bachus served in leadership capacities at several other community health centers across the country to include Service Line Administrator for the satellite health centers of Swope Health Services in Kansas City, MO, and Chief Operating Officer of HealthNet, Inc., Indiana’s largest Community Health Center in Indianapolis, IN.

Ms. Bachus earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Washburn University and a Master of Jurisprudence in Health Law from Loyola University Chicago Law School. She also holds the designation of Community Health Center Executive Fellow from the Kansas Medical Center and a Public Policy Certificate from the National Institute of Lobbying and Ethics.