JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Representative Cora Faith Walker has been honored by the Missouri Primary Care Association with a 2018 Champion of Community Health Centers Award for her work as a legislator on health care issues.
First established in 2005, the Champion of Community Health Centers Award is given to individuals who serve in the legislative or administrative branches of city, county, state, or federal government or other public and private organization who have demonstrated outstanding support of the community health center model and are committed to increasing health care access for all, regardless of the ability to pay, and to public service with a willingness to help communities improve health access.
Representative Walker was recognized by the MPCA for her leadership and focused support for community-based health services for all underserved populations in Missouri.
Using her experience from before being elected, Walker was able to provide insight and expertise on health care reform and Medicaid issues, serving as a source of information among her colleagues and working across the aisle to pass meaningful health care reforms during her first term as a legislator. In the 2018 legislative session, she led efforts to extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum moms who are in need of substance use disorder services, and also worked with a group of legislators to find a bipartisan solution that was eventually signed into law and will have a tremendous impact on helping fight the opioid epidemic in Missouri.
Walker has been extremely active in the community and through her work on numerous boards and commissions. She toils to increase awareness and bring to light many of the unique challenges her constituents face every day.
“I certainly don’t do this work for the recognition,” Walker, D-Ferguson, said. “But being acknowledged by a group such as the MPCA, comprised of members who provide health care to our most vulnerable neighbors in communities throughout the state of Missouri, is an honor I will truly cherish.”
