By Dinah Wiley

Dear Friends and Former Colleagues,

I am now setting career aside to more fully embrace other life goals. Leaving CCF has been difficult, it is a wonderful organization.  I’m so grateful to Joan Alker and the funders for the chance to bring a focus on immigrant health care to CCF for the last three years. And I’ve been inspired by the dedication of the staff, partners, and the wide group of close CCF colleagues to excellence in the work and to the health of our nation’s immigrants.  I’m also very excited that Sonya Schwartz will lead the continued focus on connecting immigrants and mixed-status families to health care and coverage. With Sonya’s passion, brilliance, and competence, CCF will be a wonderful resource on immigrant health care to advocates in DC and the states, and to the federal partners with whom CCF works so closely.

National borders are created by people and how those borders are used are decided by people. Deep in the hearts of everyone, even those with whom we disagree, I believe people want all their fellow humans to be healthy and have access to the basic human right of health care when they need it. I cannot agree that any person should be denied access to available health care, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, regardless of the justification that may be given. Aren’t we better as a society when we have a health care system that is impartial and accessible to all of us? Aren’t we better as people when we welcome and help newcomers who are striving for survival and opportunity in the face of economic hardship, displacement, new language, and foreign culture?

With your continued hard work on behalf of health care equity for immigrants in our communities and for justice in our nation’s laws, we can slowly but surely embrace health care for all in America. It’s a beautiful vision, and one worth all the effort.

Best wishes, and thank you for all you do!