CommuniCare welcomes Mahoney as new chief medical officer

CommuniCare Health Centers has announced the addition of Thomas Mahoney, M.D., M.P.H., as the Yolo County-based community health center’s new chief medical officer. Dr Mahoney has been a family practice physician for 13 years and is certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine, working primarily in community clinic settings.

He also has extensive administrative experience, having served as medical director of Community Medical Centers Inc., headquartered in Stockton, and as director of clinical affairs for the California Primary Care Association in Sacramento. CPCA is the statewide association representing all the community clinics in California, where Mahoney worked to bring together health center providers’ input on state and federal quality improvement and policy initiatives.

“We are very pleased to have a family practice provider and administrator with Dr. Mahoney’s range and depth of experience to lead CommuniCare’s medical practice,” said Robin Affrime, CommuniCare’s chief executive officer. “As CommuniCare prepares for the changes being brought by health care reform and the expected increase in services our clinics will be providing, it is a huge asset to have Dr. Mahoney’s insight and administrative expertise in a key leadership position.”

His experience has already proved rewarding. Since taking his new job in November, Mahoney has led CommuniCare’s efforts to attain recognition as a patient-centered health home.

“I have been collaborating with our other directors and staff in order to plan how to best implement processes to assure that we are providing consistent, timely, high-quality comprehensive care services to all our patients,” Mahoney said, “and that our patients experience excellent health care and customer service. It is truly exciting!”

Mahoney is originally from Massachusetts. He received his medical degree from the University of Massachusetts, Worcester, and then completed his family practice internship at Merced Community Medical Center in Merced. He subsequently received a master’s degree in public health from Loma Linda University School of Public Health in Loma Linda.

He has been living in Davis since 2006 with his wife and two young children.

CommuniCare Health Centers has provided health care to those in need since 1972. CommuniCare offers comprehensive primary medical and dental services, perinatal services, behavioral health services, substance abuse treatment and health education to low-income, uninsured and underinsured residents and migrant and seasonal farm workers and their families throughout Yolo County.

CommuniCare’s services are offered through five community clinic sites and outreach in the community. Last year, CommuniCare provided services to one in every 10 residents of the county, serving more than 20,000 patients and providing nearly 90,000 patient visits and 36,000 health education and outreach encounters.

For more information, visit www.communicarehc.org.