Alexandria, VA, March 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) presented the Seventh and Final Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Award for Health Equity to Nancy Lascheid, Co-Founder of Neighborhood Health Clinic in Naples, Florida. A true loss to her community, Nancy Lascheid passed away on August 22, 2022. She dedicated her life to service, and her legacy lives on through the work of the clinic she founded and their continued efforts to realize their mission: to deliver quality medical and dental care to low-income, working but uninsured Collier County adults, using a volunteer professional staff and funded by private philanthropy.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — the nation’s leading philanthropy on health and health care — developed this award program to find and honor individuals working for systemic change to address health inequities within their communities. After seven years, Nancy Lascheid is the final recipient of this award.

Following her training and 60-year career as a Registered Nurse, Nancy Lascheid’s community volunteerism in Collier County has focused on access and equity in healthcare for everyone. In co-founding the Clinic, Nancy Lascheid helped create the safety net of safety nets, offering unduplicated services for patients who don’t have access to Federal, State, or County programs, and who cannot afford expensive health insurance premiums and medical costs. Over 15,000 patients have been treated for chronic diseases at the Clinic since its inception, at no cost to them.

Largely due to Nancy Lascheid’s perseverance and drive, the Clinic has celebrated 23 years of hope and healing for underserved patients, while also building a sound foundation for continuing its mission in perpetuity.

“Nancy Lascheid is the perfect recipient of the final RWJF Award for Health Equity and is a shining example of the incredible impact made by those that dedicate their lives to service, “said NAFC President and Chief Executive Officer Nicole Lamoureux. “While her passing is undoubtedly a devastating loss to her community, her tireless work has established a legacy that will thrive for decades to come.”

The RWJF Awards for Health Equity is a grant program that has been awarded to the NAFC and other organizations spanning sectors including public health, health care, social justice, civic leadership, education, community development, and philanthropy. Previous winners of the RWJF Award for Health Equity presented by the NAFC include Ilana Steinhauer, Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires, Great Barrington, MA;, Mike Espel, St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy in Cincinnati, OH; Steve Crane, The Free Clinics (TFC) in Hendersonville, NC; Angela Settle, West Virginia Health Right, Inc. in Charleston, WV;, the late Dr. Mary Wirshup, Community Volunteers in Medicine in West Chester, PA and Dr. Maurice Lee, St. Vincent de Paul’s Virginia G. Piper Medical & Dental Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona.

The NAFC honored Nancy at its 2022 Charitable Healthcare Symposium by presenting the award to her daughter, Leslie Lascheid, who worked alongside her mother and is the current CEO of the Neighborhood Health Clinic.

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About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to improving health and health equity in the United States. In partnership with others, we are working to develop a Culture of Health rooted in equity that provides every individual with a fair and just opportunity to thrive, no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they have.  For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.

About the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics

The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is the only nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of the uninsured and underinsured throughout the nation and the more than 1,400 Free and Charitable Clinics and Pharmacies that serve them. The NAFC has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar and a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is working towards healthy communities for all through quality, equitable, accessible healthcare. For more information about the NAFC, please visit www.nafcclinics.org.

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