Thursday the Tennessee Primary Care Association honored Cempa Community Care with the Charles E. Darling Organization of Excellence Award. According to the TPCA, Cempa earned the distinction for its “innovation and dedication to the delivery of primary care to vulnerable populations.”
“Our entire team was thrilled to learn that the TPCA recognized Cempa as an Organization of Excellence with this award,” said Shannon Stephenson, CEO at Cempa Community Care. “Even without this award, I am consistently proud of the work we do on behalf of our area’s underserved populations. But it is always a blessing to be publicly recognized for these efforts. This is an honor that belongs to every single Cempa employee. While we’ve got plenty more work to do, they’ve put in long hours to get us to this point. They’ve championed our mission. And they’ve helped foster a healthier region. This is their award.”
The Tennessee Primary Care Association membership roster comprises nearly 200 non-profit primary care clinics across the state. In 2020, these member institutions provided "high-quality, comprehensive" care to more than 415,000 Tennesseans.
Per TPCA, “This award, named in honor of Dr. Charles E. Darling, recognizes outstanding achievement in organizing, delivering and/or financing health services to vulnerable populations. Dr. Darling dedicated his life to serving the prenatal health needs of women in East Tennessee, regardless of their ability to pay.”
This is the second statewide award Cempa has garnered this year for the organization’s work. For its role in bringing reliable and safe COVID-19 testing to numerous underserved communities across Greater Chattanooga, Cempa was also honored with the Governor’s Award of Excellence by Governor Bill Lee’s faith-based and community initiative.