The Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City (HCF) has selected Bridget McCandless, M.D., MBA, FACP, as its new president/CEO.

McCandless starts duties Sept. 3 and succeeds founding President/CEO Steve Roling, who announced his retirement in December 2012.

McCandless has spent her career working to provide medical care to low-income, uninsured individuals, including serving  13 years as medical director of the Share Care Free Clinic of Jackson County.

The clinic, which she founded, served 2,500 patients with chronic medical illnesses. She established a multidisciplinary volunteer network that includes pharmacists,   ophthalmologists, radiologic services, oral health providers, diabetes educators, mental health providers and specialty care physicians.

McCandless shared a letter with the clinic patient sharing her decision and how care will be provided in the future. 

She also served as an inaugural member of the HCF Board of Directors from 2003-2008 chairing the Program and Grants Committee.

McCandless currently serves on the MO HealthNet Oversight Committee and is on the Board of Directors of the Missouri Free Health Clinic Association and has been   president of the Metropolitan Medical Society of Greater Kansas City.

HCF was created in 2002 as part of the Hospital Corporation of America’s (HCA) purchase of Health Midwest.

Since 2005,  HCF has invested more than $160 million into its service area of Kansas City, Mo.; Cass, Jackson and Lafayette counties in Missouri; and Allen, Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas.