Austin, TX – Texas Primary Care Consortium, a joint initiative of the Texas Medical Home Initiative and Texas Health Institute, has named Elena Marks, JD, MPH, the inaugural recipient of the Texas Primary Care Consortium’s Primary Care Champion Award.

Since 2013, Marks, founding CEO of Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF), has overseen more than $420 million worth of program investments in EHF grants, research projects, community and congregational engagement efforts, impact investing, and more. In the primary care space, she leveraged numerous opportunities, demonstrating that effecting systems change, though daunting, is possible one step at a time.

“What’s really been special about Elena is her leadership in the way she has challenged many stakeholders in changing the status quo and changing the way we think about our problems and craft and implement solutions,” says Ankit Sanghavi, MPH, BDS, executive director of Texas Health Institute. “She has always been there hands on, willing and working alongside you as a thought partner, an influencer, and a change agent to really influence systems change.”

Through this award TPCC hopes to inspire leaders to carry forward the important work started and move the needle on health and opportunity for all Texans. By advancing access to care, payment reform, and investment in primary care, TPCC hopes to transform the way that providers and patients interact with the health care system and pursue health and wellbeing.

As a longtime supporter of TPCC, EHF changed the conversation on health by not only working to make health care more accessible for those most in need, but by investing in new and different solutions that address the underlying, non-medical factors that lead to poor health.

In her time at EHF, Marks guided the $1.3 billion start-up foundation from its creation in 2013 to a fully established philanthropic organization respected nationwide. She grew EHF’s staff to a 30-member team with wide backgrounds in public health, public policy, safety-net health systems, community engagement, and communications.

To learn more and watch a video celebrating Marks’ achievements, visit tx-pcc.org.

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The Texas Primary Care Consortium is a statewide collaborative initiative with a mission to advance equitable, comprehensive, and sustainable primary care for all Texans led by Texas Medical Home Initiative in partnership with Texas Health Institute.

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