Centre Volunteers in Medicine Executive Director Cheryl White is getting ready to retire after leading Centre County’s free health care clinic for 13 years.
White’s retirement will be effective in December, according to a CVIM news release.
“I am honored to have served along with the many staff and volunteers at Centre Volunteers in Medicine,” White said in a statement. “I am blessed to live and work in a community where we take care of our neighbors. CVIM is a perfect example of our community coming together to care for those in need. Serving Centre County has been a privilege, and I am indebted to the CVIM Board for their support and confidence during my tenure.”
During her tenure, CVIM has grown significantly, increasing its programs for low-income uninsured and underinsured Centre County residents. The nonprofit clinic has expanded its medical, behavioral health, pharmaceutical and dental services under her leadership.
In 2023, CVIM completed its move to a new multi-million dollar, 11,000-square foot facility at at 2026 Sandy Drive in Ferguson Township, nearly doubling the space of its previous home of 15 years on Green Tech Drive in Patton Township. An $11 million “Building Healthier Futures” campaign raised funds to not only support the purchase and renovation of the building, but also to create permanent endowments to ensure it can continue to meet the growing demand for services in a community with an estimated 12,000 people without health care.
Through all the changes and challenges, including navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, White has served with “integrity, vision and a passion for serving individuals in need of essential health services,” since joining CVIM in December 2010, according to the organization.
“It has been a pleasure for me and the CVIM Board to work with Cheryl over the past decade,” Heddy Kervandjian, chair of the CVIM Board of Directors, said in a statement. “Cheryl has been a tireless advocate for the uninsured and underinsured in Centre County. … Although the mission of CVIM will undoubtedly continue and succeed, Cheryl will be remembered for her many years of leadership and dedication to the organization.”
CVIM will begin a search for White’s successor in the coming days.
