ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Oct. 23, 2019) – The St. Petersburg Free Clinic has hired Hope Woodson as the Director of its Health Center. Woodson brings nearly 25 years of health care administration management experience, working in a wide range of roles for St. Charles County in Missouri.
At the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Woodson will lead the Health Center and Health Education Center, ensuring optimal performance of programs and the delivery of high-quality patient services from Free Clinic volunteers and staff. Woodson will also soon oversee the Free Clinic’s Dental Clinic, which is still in its construction phase.
The Free Clinic’s Health Center provides basic health and wellness services – from health screenings to general care to specialty care – for thousands of low-income, uninsured adults in Pinellas County each year at no cost to the patient. Last year alone, more than 9,000 adults without health insurance received free health services and received over $3.1 million of retail value prescription drugs for free.
Over the course of her career, Woodson has accomplished milestones like creating new health service clinics, implementing budgets to reduce unnecessary spending, establishing public health policies and procedures, and collaborating with state and local officials to set new standards for public health in Missouri.
“Hope’s broad health care experience is a perfect match for our Health Center and our vision for better health outcomes,” said Michael Bice, the Free Clinic’s CEO. “Under her leadership, we’ll continue to do more for the community, from providing a safety net to people who don’t have the means to access health care to teaching healthy cooking classes to patients with chronic conditions.”
Prior to joining the Free Clinic, Woodson served in a variety of public health roles for the St. Charles County Department of Public Health in Missouri. As Director, she managed the divisions of health services, environmental public health, and humane services. She also developed a program to meet community needs related to public health.
Woodson also previously served as the Public Health Emergency Response Planner for the St. Charles County Government where she developed emergency response plans and worked with local officials to plan for health emergencies like bioterrorism, communicable disease outbreaks, and pandemic flu.
Woodson earned her bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion and Management from South East Missouri State, a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Lindenwood University and a Public Health Leadership Certificate from the University of Missouri.
About St. Petersburg Free Clinic
St. Petersburg Free Clinic is a multi-service, independent, not-for-profit human services agency providing neighbors in need assistance with food, shelter and health care since 1970. The Free Clinic is comprised of eight programs that are a beacon of hope for families and individuals who fall through the cracks of existing systems and services. To learn more, please visit www.stpetersburgfreeclinic.org.
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