Reflecting on Our First Collaboration Circle – Bridging Gaps in Access: Innovations in Community Health
On May 6, 2025, the Parikh Giving Alliance proudly launched its inaugural Collaboration Circle—an innovative new series designed to connect nonprofit professionals, thought leaders, and change-makers in healthcare, education, and the arts. The first session, titled “Bridging Gaps in Access: Innovations in Community Health,” was a powerful hour that brought together Central Florida’s top healthcare leaders to explore solutions for one of our region’s most urgent challenges: equitable healthcare access.
Hosted as a “Zoom-at-noon” session, the virtual event created a dynamic, interactive platform where over 100 participants gathered to share, learn, and spark collaboration. With a format designed for maximum impact in minimal time, attendees were guided through a tightly curated program featuring three expert speakers, focused Q&A rounds, and opportunities for engagement. The results? Insightful, inspiring, and full of momentum for what comes next.
A Power-Packed Program Led by Changemakers
The event was moderated by Dr. Beena M. Parikh, Co-Founder of Parikh Giving Alliance, who opened the session by emphasizing the organization’s mission to accelerate changes that transform lives. Through its grantmaking and community programs, the Alliance aims to empower nonprofits by providing resources, funding, and spaces—like Collaboration Circles—where collective action can thrive. Dr. Parikh welcomed the audience and introduced the three featured speakers, each bringing a unique perspective on healthcare access from their roles as nonprofit leaders and healthcare providers:
Marni Stahlman, President and CEO of the Mental Health Association of Central Florida
Nicholas Abrahams, President and CEO of the Winter Park Health Foundation
Dr. Debra Andree, President and CEO of Community Health Centers
Each speaker was invited to share a five-minute introduction centered on their work, passion, and expertise in healthcare access—and the insights that followed were nothing short of powerful.
Mental Health Matters: Addressing Underserved Needs
Marni Stahlman set the stage by discussing the growing need for accessible mental health resources in underserved communities. She shared how the Mental Health Association of Central Florida is not only addressing mental health stigma but also deploying practical solutions to meet people where they are—through mobile services, telehealth, and proactive outreach. Her remarks highlighted that mental health is often the entry point to broader healthcare needs, and that ignoring it means perpetuating deeper systemic inequities.
She also underscored that many individuals in underserved areas don’t seek help because they either don’t know where to go or fear the consequences of being labeled. That’s why her organization emphasizes trust-building, education, and partnerships that embed mental health into schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
Nonprofit Impact: Building Bridges Through Strategy
Next, Nicholas Abrahams shared how nonprofits can be powerful engines for healthcare innovation—especially when it comes to building partnerships. He detailed the Winter Park Health Foundation’s strategic approach to expanding access: focusing on youth, seniors, and caregiving families; building infrastructure like school-based health centers; and investing in upstream solutions that address social determinants of health.
Abrahams made a compelling case for “collaborative philanthropy,” where foundations don’t just fund programs—they co-design solutions with those closest to the challenges. He encouraged nonprofits to look beyond traditional silos and align efforts across sectors, especially in education and housing, to support holistic community health.
The Physician’s Perspective: Breaking Down Barriers
Dr. Debra Andree brought the perspective of a front-line healthcare provider. As CEO of Community Health Centers, she highlighted how access to care is not just about insurance coverage—it’s about transportation, trust, language, and cultural competency. She stressed the need to reduce these barriers through integrated care models, patient navigators, and community health partnerships that prioritize dignity and access.
Dr. Andree also reminded attendees of the human side of healthcare: families who delay care due to cost, seniors who lack transportation, and children whose first encounter with healthcare is in an emergency room. She challenged us to rethink systems that unintentionally exclude—and to keep patient voices at the center of every solution.
Engaging the Community: A Shared Dialogue
Following the speaker introductions, Dr. Parikh moderated two rounds of thoughtful questions designed to weave each speaker’s insights into a broader narrative:
What are the biggest challenges facing underserved communities today in terms of healthcare and mental health?
What strategies and innovations are proving most effective in bridging those gaps?
How can nonprofits and physicians work better together to influence policy and drive systemic change?
The answers varied by speaker, but a few themes emerged clearly: the power of partnerships, the importance of local context, and the need to listen to the communities we aim to serve.
The final minutes of the session were dedicated to live questions from the audience—an engaged group that asked about collaborative funding models, scaling pilot programs, and navigating the intersection of mental and physical health. The energy was electric, and many attendees reached out afterward to express interest in connecting further.
Resources, Relationships, and What’s Next
As part of the Collaboration Circle experience, every attendee received a resource kit following the session—including the full recording, speaker bios, and contact information. More importantly, they left with renewed connections, new ideas, and next steps to continue the conversation offline. The Parikh Giving Alliance remains committed to fostering these kinds of transformational spaces where organizations don’t just talk—they align, activate, and grow stronger together. This inaugural session was more than a webinar. It was a spark.
Join Us for Future Circles
If you missed this session, we invite you to stay connected! Our Collaboration Circle series continues throughout the year, with future topics exploring innovations in education, access to the arts, nonprofit leadership, and more. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, healthcare professional, educator, artist, or advocate—these sessions are designed to ignite fresh thinking and foster collaboration across sectors.