Page 24 - BusinessWest November 9, 2020

Women of IMPACT
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Photo by Leah Martin Photography
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In Both Healthcare and Ministry, She Leads with a Servant’s Heart
By Mark Morris
ania Barber likes to say her main motivation is ser- vant leadership.
As president and CEO of Caring Health Center, as well as the founder and pastor of Living Water Global Ministries, her passion is focusing on the
needs of others rather than the wants of self.
“I’m working in the career of healthcare, and I’m
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intertwining my calling, which is being a help to others,” she said. “It’s what gives me my drive.”
Barber’s story with Caring Health Center (CHC) begins in the salon where she worked as a hairdresser, which was about
to close. As she was trying to figure out what to do next,
one of her customers offered Barber temporary work as a switchboard operator at CHC.
“That was definitely not in my future plans, but it was bread and butter on the table for my children, so I said, ‘absolutely, I would love to come and help out,’” she recalled.
“I finally realized that I could
have a greater impact in an executive management role, to help inform the policies and practices of the organization. It was a chance to make positive changes to the issues I saw first-hand when I worked on the front line.”
After a year as an independent contractor, Barber was hired as the permanent switchboard operator. As the years progressed, so did her career in roles of increasing responsibility, culminating in 2005 when she was asked to be CHC’s chief operations officer. She declined that offer and was asked two more times before finally accepting the position. Her hesitation was due to a concern that the COO position would remove her from the ability to engage and communicate directly with patients.
“I finally realized that I could have a greater impact in an executive management role, to help inform the policies and practices of the organization,” she told BusinessWest. “It was a chance to make positive changes to the issues I saw first-hand when I worked on the front line.”
Community Ties
Barber’s empathy for people in the community goes much deeper than her experience as a healthcare worker.
“I am one of our patients; I come from the same community,” she said. “When I was on MassHealth, I was denied services because they weren’t covered.”
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Tania Barber
President and CEO, Caring Health Center
These inequities made her more passionate about her position because community health centers are mandated to provide care for everyone, whether they have insurance or not. “It gave me the
chance to speak to
family members
Barber
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