Maine Health Access Foundation

For a decade, MeHAF has been governed by a visionary statewide Board of Trustees.  But even before creating the Board, Maine's Attorney General tapped another group of leaders to guide MeHAF's very first steps.  "I was there from the beginning," recalls Luc Nya.   "Before MeHAF was created, I was part of the original Community Advisory Committee."  

The experiences, expertise and diverse perspectives of people on the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) have lent greater breadth and depth to the Foundation's efforts.  Ensuring that MeHAF's work is informed and shaped by the diverse voices and perspectives of Maine people is something Nya knows a lot about.  As the former Multicultural Services Coordinator in the Office of the Multicultural and Immigrant Services, Nya had considerable experience in listening to the needs of vulnerable people and building alliances and partnerships around common goals to meet them.

"When MeHAF first started out there were lots of questions and confusion about what the Foundation would be.  Would it be an arm of government?  A policy organization?  Would it fund traditional programs, or think about doing something different with funding?"  Determining the right answers to these challenging questions was critical to getting the Foundation started on the right path. 

So the Board and CAC turned to Maine people for advice. "MeHAF started out with community forums to communicate who they are and what they do, and get feedback from people about which issues to cover."  Nya was proud that this process brought forward advice "from the grassroots."  With this approach, MeHAF gained buy-in and support to start addressing important issues.

Over the years, Nya notes, "MeHAF has remained true to working on the topics that have come directly from the citizens of Maine."  By staying engaged with the public, the Foundation keeps fresh ideas and innovation flowing, and makes sure new programs and interventions are meeting the needs of everyday people.

Nya feels that "MeHAF has pushed people to look at people and things differently than they had in the past."  For example, "as a result of MeHAF's work, the issue of integrating psychiatric care into the primary care setting is at the forefront in Maine. Not long after MeHAF began looking seriously at the benefits of this approach, SAMHSA [the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration] did something similar. This shows that MeHAF is being innovative and doing needed projects even before there is a national trend to look at them."

True to its original role, the CAC continues to keep MeHAF's ear tuned to the needs of Maine people.  Nya is confident that the Foundation can continue to meet the challenge of finding ways to help all people achieve optimal health and well being.  "MeHAF is out there in the community, making sure that everyone's voice is included."

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