For Immediate Release
Contact: Jerrica Thurman, Director, Communications, jerrica@amputee-coalition.org
(December 8, 2021, Washington, D.C.) The Amputee Coalition is pleased to announce its president and Chief Executive Officer Mary Richards was elected as a new member of the 2022 Board of Directors for the National Health Council (NHC). The Coalition has been a long member of the Council and this new appointment deepens the organizations’ partnership and commitment to promote increased access to affordable, high-value, and sustainable health care.
“To advance the Amputee Coalition’s mission to serve the limb loss and limb difference community, I am honored to serve as a Board member of the National Health Council ‒ the preeminent champion for more than 160 million people with chronic diseases and disabilities. NHC brings together the nation’s leading patient-advocacy organizations, including the Amputee Coalition, to drive patient-centered health policies that improve lives,” said Mary Richards, president and CEO of the Amputee Coalition. “I am excited to contribute to the leadership of the NHC and help expedite meaningful progress for Americans living with limb loss and limb difference and many other conditions.”
Every day, more than 500 people in the U.S. lose a limb, and it is estimated that, by 2050, the number of people living with limb loss will nearly double. There are over 2.1 million people in the United States living with limb loss or limb difference. Another 28 million people in our country are at risk for amputation. The implementation of patient-centered health policies for all Americans are critical, and the collective work of the NHC strengthens impact to move the needle.
Created by and for patient organizations 100 years ago, the NHC brings diverse organizations together to forge consensus and drive patient-centered health policy. Made up of more than 140 national health-related organizations and businesses, the NHC’s core membership includes the nation’s leading patient organizations. Other members include health-related associations and nonprofit organizations including the provider, research, and family caregiver communities; and businesses representing biopharmaceutical, device, diagnostic, generic drug, and payer organizations.
“The NHC is thrilled that Mary Richards is joining the Board of Directors,” said Randall Rutta, NHC Chief Executive Officer. “Over her career, she has been a passionate advocate for people with chronic conditions and disabilities and represents an important constituency in the patient community. Her unique perspective is invaluable.”
Richards is among four other new members who joined the 2022 NHC Board of Directors: Jeff Todd, President and Chief Executive Officer, Prevent Blindness; Schroeder Stribling, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health America; Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH, Chief Patient Officer and Executive Vice President, Population Health & Sustainability, Merck; and Sue Peschin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Alliance for Aging Research. Learn more at http://www.nationalhealthcouncil.org.
###
Amputee Coalition: The Leading Voice on Limb Loss and Limb Difference
The Amputee Coalition is the only national nonprofit that serves all individuals who experience limb loss or limb difference. We are dedicated to ensuring that no one faces limb loss alone. Our mission is to reach out and empower people affected by limb loss to achieve their full potential through support, education, advocacy, and prevention. We work to provide vital resources to people with limb loss and limb difference, as well as their families and caregivers. With these resources, they can recover, readjust, and live the life they most want to live. Learn more at www.amputee-coalition.org.