Leadership in Advocacy Award
The purpose of the ACAP Leadership in Advocacy Award is to enable our plans to show appreciation for their local safety net health care advocates. The Leadership in Advocacy Award will be given to an individual who has partnered or collaborated with an ACAP plan and whose efforts on behalf of enrollees in Medicaid, Medicare Duals programs, CHIP, Marketplaces, and other safety net programs clearly exceed the norm. Nominees can include, but are not limited to individuals (e.g., leader of a community coalition) who have clearly benefited the safety net by engaging in advocacy, leaders in local health departments, or clinicians who advocate for individual patients, or advocate for the programs as a whole. There is no specific requirement that the advocacy relate to managed care. Previous nominees may be re-nominated, provided they have not won the award in a prior year. More information here.
The winner of the Leadership in Advocacy Award will receive a plaque, a donation to a charity in their name, and will be asked to join us for an in-person award ceremony during ACAP’s February Fly-In in Washington, D.C. The winner will also be highlighted in a future ACAP newsletter. All nominees, at the plan’s discretion, are invited to attend ACAP’s CEO Summit, held here in Washington, D.C. in October.
Information for the 2026 award will be shared in late 2025.
2025 Honoree: Lee Che P. Leong, Senior Policy Advocate at Northwest Health Law Advocates (NoHLA)
Lee Che P. Leong, Senior Policy Advocate at Northwest Health Law Advocates (NoHLA), was honored with ACAP’s prestigious Leadership in Advocacy award for her unwavering dedication to immigrant health. Through her tireless advocacy, Leong led the charge in securing Medicaid-equivalent coverage for undocumented individuals in Washington State, resulting in the transformative Apple Health Expansion (AHE) program, which will provide essential healthcare to nearly 12,000 individuals who were previously left without coverage.
Leong’s work didn’t stop there—she played a pivotal role in securing a State Innovation Waiver, ensuring that undocumented individuals earning up to 250% of the federal poverty level can now access state-funded premium subsidies through the Health Benefit Exchange. This bold initiative makes healthcare more equitable, breaking down barriers for those often excluded from federal assistance. Nominated by the Community Health Plan of Washington, Leong’s passionate advocacy is changing lives and ensuring access to care for those who need it most.
2024 Honoree: Dr. Judy Mohr Peterson, of Hawaiʻi Medicaid (Med-QUEST)
Dr. Judy Mohr Peterson, PhD, Med-QUEST Division Administrator of the Hawaii Department of Human Services, received ACAP’s twelfth annual Leadership in Advocacy award for her exceptional leadership in advocating for Medicaid beneficiaries. Under her leadership, Hawaiʻi’s Medicaid program has impacted over 450,000 residents, with key accomplishments including restoring dental benefits for adult Medicaid recipients. Her collaboration with Hawaiʻi’s Oral Health Coalition secured $8.8 million in state funding, expanding dental coverage beyond emergency care.
Dr. Mohr Peterson has also championed community-based palliative care as a Medicaid-covered benefit, working with CMS and local organizations for over two years to improve health equity and access for individuals with serious illnesses across Hawaiʻi.
2023 Honoree: Dr. Mohammad Dar, of Massachusetts Medicaid (MassHealth)
Dr. Mohammad Dar, Senior Medical Director of Massachusetts Medicaid (MassHealth) and chair of the National Medicaid Medical Directors Network, received ACAP’s eleventh annual Leadership in Advocacy award for his role in establishing the country’s first statewide in-home vaccination program.
Dr. Dar advocated for the needs of the homebound population during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring they were included in the state’s vaccination efforts. Under his leadership, Massachusetts partnered with Commonwealth Care Alliance to administer in-home vaccinations, reaching over 10,000 individuals who were unable to visit vaccination sites, many of whom faced higher risks due to underlying health conditions and caregiving needs.
2022 Honoree: Mary Anne Foo of the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA)
Ms. Foo founded the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) in 1997 to address health issues within AAPI communities. Under her leadership, the organization expanded its focus to advocacy and legislative education, tackling systemic disparities in healthcare and social services. OCAPICA addresses health disparities, such as cervical cancer and low breast cancer screening rates among Vietnamese women, by improving access to care and breaking down social stigmas.
Key achievements under Ms. Foo’s leadership include securing a $100 million state grant for mental health services through Project Hope, collaborating with school districts and local organizations to address youth mental health. OCAPICA also received funding from the All of Us Research Program to promote precision medicine and diversity in medical studies. Additionally, Ms. Foo led a study with CalOptima and Children’s Hospital of Orange County that uncovered high asthma rates among Vietnamese youth.
2021 Honoree: Cecilia Gentili, Trans Equity Consulting
Ms. Gentili founded Trans Equity Consulting in 2019 to advocate for the transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary community, especially trans women of color, sex workers, and people with substance use disorders. Her prior work at GMHC and the LGBT Center strengthened her commitment to systemic change.
She founded Decrim NY, successfully lobbying for record relief for trafficking survivors and the decriminalization of ‘loitering’ for transgender women. She also played a key role in passing GENDA in New York, securing mandatory training for 340,000 state employees, and led a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to restore protections for transgender patients under the Affordable Care Act. Her advocacy also helped grow a local community health center’s transgender patient base from 27 to 500.
2020 Honoree: C. Virginia Fields, National Black Leadership Commission on Health
Ms. Fields has shown a steadfast commitment to improving the lives of New Yorkers, particularly those with low incomes. She began her career as a Social Service Administrator for the city’s Work Release Program and later became the Director of Foster Care and Adoption at the Children’s Aid Society. She has also served as a member of the New York City Council and as Manhattan Borough President.
Since 2008, Ms. Fields has been the CEO of the National Black Leadership Commission on Health (NBLCH), working to improve healthcare access for marginalized communities, especially those living with HIV/AIDS. Under her leadership, NBLCH has raised billions in federal funding for HIV/AIDS services, created the National Black Men and HIV/AIDS Initiative, launched the National & New York Statewide Community Mobilization Initiative to address health disparities, and partnered with Bennett College to combat HIV/AIDS on Black college campuses through the HBCU Initiative.
2019 Honoree: Robert Restuccia, Community Catalyst, nominated by Commonwealth Care Alliance
Under Mr. Restuccia’s leadership, Community Catalyst worked with national, state, and local partners to drive healthcare reforms in over 40 states. The organization led national campaigns to expand children’s health coverage, curb pharmaceutical marketing conflicts, protect consumer interests in hospital and insurer conversions, and safeguard Medicaid from budget cuts.
Mr. Restuccia is a passionate advocate for equitable, affordable healthcare. He co-founded Health Care For All in Massachusetts and served as its Executive Director, leading successful campaigns to expand health coverage for Massachusetts residents. He generated $40 million in philanthropic funding for consumer organizations, expanded the health advocacy movement nationwide, and helped develop Commonwealth Care Alliance, which serves over 30,000 low-income adults. In 2012, he worked with six states to launch Dual Eligible Demonstration Programs to improve services for dual-eligible beneficiaries.
2018 Honoree: Julius Kolawole, African Alliance of Rhode Island, nominated by NHPRI
2017 Honoree: Deborah Frank, Grow Clinic for Children, nominated by BMC HealthNet Plan
2016 Honoree: Charles King, Housing Works, nominated by Amida Care
2015 Honoree: Laval Miller-Wilson, Pennsylvania Health Law Project, nominated by UPMC for You
2014 Honoree: Dennis Heaphy, Disability Policy Consortium, nominated by Commonwealth Care Alliance
2013 Honoree: Tricia Berke Vinson, Health Consumer Center, nominated by Health Plan of San Mateo