“I am honored to be the namesake of NACHC’s new research center. One of the clearest lessons I learned in my early work to establish a Community Health Center in Mound Bayou was the importance of doing the research necessary to understand the people you are trying to help before imposing solutions.
It is my hope that through this center NACHC undertakes research to identify innovations, promising practices, and evidence-based interventions to help health centers become even more effective in their lifesaving, transformative work.”
–John W. Hatch, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health
Dr. John W. Hatch was a trailblazing public health leader and social justice advocate, whose work with Drs. Jack Geiger and Count Gibson laid the foundation for patient-centered, community-driven health care solutions. His efforts in rural and urban communities transformed primary care delivery.
His Contributions to Public Health & Community Health Centers
Community-Based Health Care: He played a pivotal role in establishing rural CHCs — including the first CHC in Mound Bayou, Mississippi — ensuring access to care for disenfranchised communities during the civil rights era.
Holistic Health Approaches: Integrated housing, nutrition, and mental health into CHC comprehensive primary model, long before social risk factors of health became widely recognized.
Academic and Policy Leadership: A driving force behind evidence policy reforms, supporting population health, value-based care, community engagement, and workforce and training.
The Dr. John W. Hatch Center for Science honors his legacy, advancing CHC-focused analysis, health equity, and transformative policy initiatives.
