Craig Glover

President & CEO, FamilyCare Health Centers

By Kristen Uppercue

Craig Glover has a passion for bettering himself, his colleagues and his community.

In his constant pursuit to learn, he has earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration from Fontbonne University in Missouri and a master’s degree in leadership studies from Indiana Wesleyan University. He is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in organizational management at Oakland City University. Glover is also certified in health care management as a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and a certified medical practice executive in the American College of Medical Practice Executives.

As president and CEO of FamilyCare Health Centers, Glover is leading a network of nonprofit community health centers (CHCs) to fill the gaps in access to health care in West Virginia.

“CHCs exist to ensure access to health care services regardless of ability to pay, and they never let a lack of financial resources be a barrier to care,” says Glover. “In some ways, the work chose me. While working in information technology, I joined a CHC as the chief technology officer in 2014. When I began to learn about the service and the mission of CHCs, I knew I had found my calling.”

Prior to transplanting to West Virginia, Glover served as CEO of Norwalk Community Health Center in Connecticut for nearly five years.

“We achieved a lot during my tenure,” he says. “Two major successes were adding behavioral health and dental services. While at Norwalk, we did a lot of practice transformation work using lean process improvement techniques. That experience is proving helpful at FamilyCare.”

In 2019, Glover moved to the Mountain State to become the FamilyCare Health Center’s second CEO, following co-founder Martha Carter’s 30-year tenure.

“I was attracted to the organization because of its reputation for innovation and growth,” he says. “I was not very familiar with West Virginia before interviewing for the position but moving here was exciting. It allowed me to learn a new organization and explore a new region of the country. What I like about living and working in West Virginia is the people. Everyone is very friendly.”

FamilyCare Health Centers provide 32,000 people with health care, including medical, dental and behavioral services. The CHCs meet the needs of West Virginia communities by providing services to address the challenges they’re facing. For example, the centers began offering substance use disorder services in response to the ongoing opioid epidemic, and when the coronavirus pandemic began, Family­Care began offering telehealth visits for patients despite never using the technology before.

Looking to the future, Glover hopes to provide equal health services regardless of socioeconomic status. However, his main challenge is always how to do more with less.

“We often face funding cuts, but we are still expected to provide the same amount of service,” he says. “My goal is for FamilyCare to provide the highest quality care for our patients. We know from patient surveys and feedback that our patients want more services from us, and we intend to provide them.”

Glover’s passion for serving the community extends beyond his professional life and into his personal life. He has been serving on nonprofit boards and volunteering his time and resources for the last 20 years. Glover currently serves on the board of directors for the United Way of Central West Virginia, Children’s Home Society of West Virginia, CAMC Foundation, West Virginia Primary Care Association, West Virginia Medical Group Management Association and West Virginia chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives. In the past, he has served on the boards of Norwalk Hospital, the Boys & Girls Club of Central Illinois and Confluence Academies.

Glover has received several awards throughout his career, including the 2011 Fontbonne University Alumni Award, St. Louis American Foundation Salute to Young Leaders in 2012 and American College of Healthcare Executives Connecticut Chapter Diversity Award in 2016. While he is honored to have received each commendation, Glover considers his family to be his greatest success and being a father as his most rewarding job.

Glover strives to be a servant leader, which he believes has had the largest impact on his success.

“Servant leaders put the needs of others ahead of their own,” he says. “For me, this means empowering the team to do its best. One of the characteristics of servant leadership is a commitment to the growth of people. I view each person as a unique individual with intrinsic value that goes beyond their contribution to the organization, so I want to help them grow personally and professionally.”