WHO WE ARE

Richard C. Bohrer, MA      

Major Areas of Expertise:

  • Establishment of high-quality primary healthcare services for underserved and vulnerable populations in the U.S.
  • Improvement of health center practices and ensuring delivery of evidence-based care.
  • Improvement of healthcare outcomes in diverse populations.
  • Establishment of community partnerships that result in integrated systems of care.

Summary of Career Accomplishments:
Richard Bohrer became a Senior Partner with Martin, Blanck & Associates in 2004. In January 2004, he retired from the US Public Health Services (PHS) as Assistant Surgeon General and Director of the Community Health Center Program, after a 34-plus year career in public health.  In this capacity, Mr. Bohrer managed a national program whose mission is to improve access to high quality, primary healthcare services for underserved and vulnerable populations in the US. Today this $8 billion delivery system serves more than 20 million people at over 8,000 community-based sites. The system continues to demonstrate positive health outcomes and significant cost savings to the overall healthcare system.

As Director of the Health Center Program, Mr. Bohrer was responsible for implementation of a proactive, population-based care management model. Through participation in Health Disparities Collaboratives, health centers were involved in changing and improving their practices, while assuring delivery of evidence-based care. Utilization of this care management model has resulted in improved health outcome measures in diverse community health center settings and populations, and flourishing partnerships with many national associations and organizations.

In 2002, Mr. Bohrer assumed responsibility for the development and implementation of the President's Health Center Initiative, a five year plan to increase by 100 percent the number of persons served by health centers. The initiative combined three strategies: strengthening health centers, improving the quality of health centers and expanding health centers, with the ultimate goal to strengthen the nation's safety net for those most in need of care. During Mr. Bohrer's tenure, healthcare center expansion exceeded the goals.

Additional Qualifications:
Mr. Bohrer was the first Health Service Officer in the PHS to attain the two star rank. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, Ohio and a Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota.

Martin, Blanck & Associates:
Martin, Blanck & Associates is a healthcare consulting firm based in Alexandria, Virginia. Martin Blanck provides critical assistance to private sector clients focused on federal healthcare delivery systems and services and public health programs. The firm has more than two dozen senior executive partners with expertise in healthcare policy, program development, executive management, strategic planning, informatics, medical countermeasures research and development addressing chemical, biological and radiological threats, public health strategies, and emerging infectious diseases.