Dr. Janelle Goetcheus to Transition from Chief Medical Officer at Unity Health Care
Washington, DC – April 25, 2019 – After 34 years, Unity Health Care’s (Unity) co-founder Dr. Janelle Goetcheus has announced her upcoming transition from her current position as the Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs. Upon the selection and hiring of a new Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Goetcheus will move to a new role as the CMO Emeritus at Unity, focused on providing high-quality healthcare for the homeless.
As a longtime advocate for the medically underserved, Dr. Janelle Goetcheus co-founded Health Care for the Homeless Project (HCHP) in 1985, which later became Unity Health Care. Her unwavering leadership and commitment to residents of the District led to the expansion of Unity’s medical operations to more than twenty sites and over 100,000 patients.
“It has been such an honor to serve as the Chief Medical Officer,” said Dr. Goetcheus. “We started in a single room in a shelter, with dedicated people who believed that health care should be available for everyone. We still have so much that needs to be done to achieve our dream, but I am committed to continuing that work in my new role at Unity.”
Prior to her work at Unity, Dr. Goetcheus founded Christ House, a respite care facility for homeless men and women, in 1985 and Columbia Road Health Services, a community health center for the medically underserved, in 1979. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including Doctor of the Year from the American Academy of Family Physicians in 1991, named Washingtonian of the Year by the Washington Magazine in 1995 and the 2017 Philip W. Brickner National Leadership Award presented by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council.
“Words are inadequate to express the love and care that Dr. Goetcheus has shared with thousands of patients over the past forty years,” said Vincent Keane, President and CEO of Unity. “We cannot begin to express our appreciation for the encouragement and support that she has given to providers, and indeed all Unity staff, throughout the years. She was not only our founder, but she has been the heart of Unity.”
Unity will be conducting a national search for a new CMO in the near future.
