DuPage Health Coalition

Kara Murphy is the President of DuPage Health Coalition, a nonprofit organization helping people access high-quality healthcare. With a vast history in the hospital and healthcare industry, she channels her experience into leading purpose-driven healthcare efforts. Kara has led the Coalition through economic crises and pandemic challenges, emphasizing collaboration and resourcefulness to keep doors open to those in need. Dedicated to enriching lives, she has been instrumental in developing comprehensive healthcare access for the underinsured and uninsured residents of DuPage County.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[01:08] Kara Murphy shares her two-decade journey with DuPage Health Coalition
[02:15] The countywide impact of Access DuPage and DuPage Health Coalition services
[07:15] The uniqueness of DuPage County and the need for health services amidst affluence
[10:00] The collaborative models in the nonprofit sphere
[11:31] Kara’s brief departure and triumphant return to DuPage Health Coalition
[14:19] Overcoming imposter syndrome and leading with a mission
[18:35] The funding models that support DuPage Health Coalition
[20:11] Tips for navigating nonprofit challenges during economic downturns
[25:30] How to boost community outreach and spread awareness about healthcare resources

In this episode…

Many counties in the US are looking to develop and sustain a system for effectively and efficiently managing the health of low-income populations across the continuum of care. However, most don’t know how to deal with these healthcare needs. Can collaborative innovation be the key to crafting a healthcare safety net that leaves no one behind?

Experienced nonprofit leader Kara Murphy delves into healthcare accessibility and philanthropy. She shares her twenty-year journey crafting solutions to some of the most pressing health access challenges faced by residents of DuPage County. Reflecting on DuPage Health Coalition’s evolution from a single program into a multifaceted organization, Kara highlights how the nonprofit adapts to its community’s needs, particularly with the challenges arising from the 2007 economic crisis and the pandemic. She also shares the importance of confidence in leadership, and the impactful decision to focus on meeting community needs as they arise rather than limiting initiatives to available funding.

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast, Paul Feith interviews Kara Murphy, President of DuPage Health Coalition, about leading a purpose-driven healthcare organization. Kara talks about the countywide impact of Access DuPage and DuPage Health Coalition services, the collaborative models in the nonprofit sphere, the funding models that support DuPage Health Coalition, and the strategy for community outreach to spread awareness about healthcare resources.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

“Rather than trying to fill someone else’s shoes, I should rest securely in the knowledge that my own shoes work just fine.”
“If I wasn’t sure that I could do it well, I wasn’t necessarily enthusiastic about doing it.”
“Collaboration is, as a colleague used to tell me, an unnatural act, but it’s also where the magic happens.”
“If people don’t have access to health care, they end up, through no fault of their own, using the health system ineffectively and inefficiently, because they don’t have any choice.”
“What we’ve learned is when we identify a need, good ideas get funded.”

Action Steps:

Embrace opportunities for growth with faith in your abilities: This addresses the need for personal leadership development and mirrors the positive impact of confidence on a mission-driven organization.
Cultivate collaboration with key community partners to serve shared client populations better: It leverages the strengths and resources of multiple organizations, enhancing overall community impact.
Establish a fundraising model that prioritizes mission over events, ensuring a focus on the organization’s core purpose: This helps maintain financial integrity and sustainability, enabling nonprofits to respond dynamically to emerging needs.
Develop a strategy to increase community awareness and engagement to ensure services reach those most in need: This helps to bridge the gap between available resources and unmet needs, expanding the outreach of vital health services.
Foster resilience within your organization to adapt swiftly in crisis situations: This builds organizational agility and responsiveness, as demonstrated by DuPage Health Coalition’s navigation through economic crises and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sponsor for this episode…

Today’s episode is sponsored by Paul Gregory Media, an 18-year-old digital marketing agency in downtown Naperville, Illinois.

They are one of the few thousand Certified B Corporations worldwide, demonstrating PGM as a leader of a global movement to use business as a force for good, meeting high standards of accountability, transparency, and community involvement. They have been trusted by hundreds of organizations since 2006.

PGM is recognized as one of the top marketing agencies in the region, earning more awards than many of its competitors combined. They have the passion, commitment, and expertise to get it done.

To learn more about the services PGM offers or how they can support you with your marketing needs, visit www.paulgregorymedia.com or email them at [email protected].