Joanne E. Haefner

Joanne E. Haefner joined the Foundation’s Board of Trustees in 2013.

Working in healthcare for more than 30 years, Joanne Haefner, FNP is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Neighborhood Health Center of WNY, Inc., the region’s longest tenured Federally Qualified Health Center. Under Joanne’s leadership, Neighborhood has experienced significant growth with an expanded footprint that includes six brick and mortar locations providing primary care, dental, behavioral health, nutrition, podiatry, pharmacy services plus a mobile unit.  Neighborhood offers quality healthcare to anyone, regardless of ability to pay. Currently, Neighborhood Health Center is the primary care home to more than 26,000 Western New Yorkers.

As President and CEO, Joanne is responsible for carrying out the organization’s vision for improving the health, and serving the healthcare needs, of the community. She also continues her clinical practice by seeing patients at Neighborhood.

Joanne holds a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing, a master’s degree and a Family Nurse Practitioner degree from D’Youville College. She is a recipient of the D’Youville Delta Sigma Award and an inductee of the Marguerite D’Youville honor society. Additionally, she completed a Health Leadership Fellowship through the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York in 2009, and in 2018 was honored with a Business First’s Health Care Leader of Excellence award.

Among other volunteer activities, Joanne served as the board president of Ronald McDonald House Charity of Western New York. She currently serves on the board of the Univera Healthcare Regional Advisory Committee, Community Health Care Association of New York State and Health Foundation for Western and Central NY, and past president and current board member of the Safety Net Association of Primary Care Providers (SNAPCAP). Joanne is an activist for social justice and equity, the needs of the whole patient, implementing models of care that engage the patient and the family with a strong emphasis on teaching self-care, and advocating for projects that build a stronger community.