After an extensive nationwide search, the Community Health Center Board has appointed Darnell “DJ” Rhodes to serve as the next Executive Director of Multnomah County Community Health Center. Rhodes will officially start April 11. Until then, Interim Executive Director Adrienne Daniels will continue to serve in the role.
Rhodes will oversee the County’s safety net network of eight primary care health care centers, seven dental clinics and seven pharmacies, as well as nine Student Health Centers. The system is the largest public Federally Qualified Health Center in Oregon, serving 75,000 patients in the past two years. The Community Health Center also provides integrated behavioral health, specialty care for people living with HIV and other enabling and supportive services.
Rhodes was appointed to the position by the Community Health Center Board (CHCB), the patient-majority body that governs the Community Health Center. While CHCB holds the responsibility for selecting its executive director, the County is tasked with recruiting and providing at least three candidates for the role. Throughout the County’s comprehensive national search process, Rhodes distinguished himself as a proven leader and strategic thinker.
Harold Odhiambo chairs the Community Health Center Board. Odhiambo said, “We are excited about the next phase of the Community Health Center’s work and look forward to welcoming DJ Rhodes to Multnomah County as he joins our talented Community Health Center team.”
Rhodes joins Multnomah County with more than a decade of experience as a healthcare leader, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer for People’s Family of Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri. Throughout his career, he has led and overseen numerous aspects of community health and clinical programs, including outreach, strategy, quality improvement, data and behavioral health integration. Rhodes is completing a doctoral degree in behavioral health at Arizona State University, where he previously earned a Master of Business Administration.