The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) recently honored John Price, Board Chair of Golden Valley Health Centers in Merced, with the 2025 Louis S. Garcia Community/Migrant Health Services Award. Golden Valley Health Centers operates in Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties.
The Awards of Excellence are given annually to individuals in the Community Health Center movement who are innovators in health care delivery, set higher standards for patient care and quality, and have demonstrated leadership and advocacy that advances community health needs. Price was presented the award during NACHC’s 2025 CHI Community Health Conference and Expo in Chicago, IL. The annual conference draws thousands of health center leaders from around the country to gather and focus on strategies that expand access to affordable primary care services in underserved communities.
For over 37 years as a GVHC Board Member, Price has worked to improve the health and well-being of migrant and seasonal farm workers in California’s Central Valley. As Chairman of the Board at GVHC, he has helped lead transformative efforts to bring equitable, culturally competent care to some of the most underserved and hard-to-reach populations in the country. He has collaborated with health center leadership throughout the country as an attendee of the NACHC Policy & Issues Forum for over 30 years and a member of the NACHC Agricultural Worker Health Committee for the same tenure. Under his board leadership, GVHC has expanded mobile health services, increased bilingual and bicultural staffing, and championed initiatives that directly respond to the unique needs of migrant workers and their families.
Health centers are the largest primary care network in the U.S., employing 326,000 staff who serve nearly 34 million people at nearly 1,700 sites nationwide. Health centers promote efficient, high-quality, comprehensive health care that is accessible, culturally and linguistically competent, community directed, and patient-centered for all, regardless of ability to pay.
NACHC is the leading innovative change agent collaborating with affiliates and partners to advance Community Health Centers as the foundation of an equitable health care system free from disparities and built on accessible, patient-governed, high-quality, integrated primary care.
As a Federally Qualified Health Center, the mission of Golden Valley Health Centers is to provide access to high-quality health care for all, serving with dignity, respect and compassion. Golden Valley Health Centers operates 47 clinics across Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, providing healthcare services to 160,000 diverse patient populations since 1972. For more information, visit gvhc.org.
