MANSFIELD — Alex Goff sees healthcare access as fundamental to a community’s growth.
“If we want our communities to grow stronger and be places for families to thrive, we must have quality care that is close to home and affordable,” he said.
The former Park National Bank commercial lender took on a new role as Third Street Family Health Services’ development director in June. The development department is a new addition to Third Street’s organization aimed at building relationships with corporate and private donors, as well as other nonprofits.
These alliances will fund expanded services for patients and provide sustainability for Third Street’s many services.
“I think there’s a misconception that there’s a huge pool of money in healthcare, when that’s really not the case,” Goff said. “The fundraising aspect is a pivotal part of sustainability for us.”
Goff previously served on the Third Street Family Health Services advisory board for about a year before taking on his new position. He has also volunteered his time for organizations including United Way, Shelby Rotary Club and the Domestic Violence Shelter.
“I have been familiar with the value of Third Street’s contributions for a long time and I am excited to take on this new role,” he said. “The development department was created to help bridge the gap between providing quality patient care and community partnership.”
In addition to fundraising, Goff will also lead some community engagement efforts at Third Street, such as partnering with other nonprofits to strengthen each other’s services and reach.
With rising operational costs for healthcare nationwide, Goff said partnerships are integral to sustaining and growing Third Street’s services in Richland, Ashland and Crawford counties.
“Many residents in our area are at or near the poverty line,” Goff said. “That should not be a barrier to receiving a quality, comprehensive care experience.”
Third Street is on track to provide care to more than 20,000 patients this year. These patients are of all ages, socio-economic backgrounds and insurance statuses.
For nearly 30 years, Third Street has been reducing the burden of expensive forms of care like emergency department visits. This focus on expanding access to needed services now spans 11 campuses in north central Ohio.
“Alex’s expertise and engagement in the community will enhance awareness of our wide array of services and the quality of our clinicians’ care,” said Third Street CEO Peggy Anderson. “I am excited to have him as development director. He will help us shine a light on the amazing work of our entire team.”
For more information about getting involved with Third Street Family Health Services, contact Alex at GoffA@thirdstreetfamily.org or call 419-522-6191, Ext. 3005. Donors can also support Third Street directly from their website.