With Years of Experience Working with Worcester’s Most Vulnerable Populations,
Dr. Katharine Barnard Brings Critical Perspective to Foundation’s Board
The Reliant Foundation recently announced that it has appointed Katharine Barnard, M.D., as its newest member of the Board of Trustees. Since completing her medical training at UMASS, Dr. Barnard has spent nearly two decades practicing family medicine in some of Worcester’s most culturally-diverse neighborhoods, including Plumley Village, Bell Hill and Main South.
“I’ve felt at home in Worcester from my first day at UMASS Medical School, and I’m thankful for the opportunities to have served some of the city’s most vulnerable populations in the years since,” said Dr. Barnard. “Working with Reliant Foundation now allows me to make an even greater impact across the region by leveraging those experiences.”
In addition to providing clinical services, Dr. Barnard has been involved in interagency collaborations to put on health and literacy fairs, start a community garden, and provide educational programs for Plumley Village residents. She has run group medical visits for patients with chronic illness and for prenatal care. Her clinical practice also includes provision of office-based opiate treatment (suboxone). In her current clinical practice at Family Health Center of Worcester, she works collaboratively with integrated behavioral health providers. Dr. Barnard also speaks Spanish and Portuguese, which has proven critical in her ability to work with certain populations.
“Dr. Barnard’s experience will add yet another critical layer of insight to our Board,” says Kelsa Zereski, president of the Foundation. “Having extensive first-hand experience with some of the core public health issues we’re tackling as a foundation makes her an ideal addition to our team.”
A Massachusetts native, Dr. Barnard graduated from Brown University in 1995 with a B.A. in Latin American Studies. She then received her medical degree from UMASS Medical School in 2000. Since completing a residency at UMASS-Worcester Family Medicine, Dr. Barnard has spent more than 15 years practicing family medicine in various locations throughout Worcester. On several occasions, she has been a part of a team providing much needed medical and dental care to residents of rural Honduras. Dr. Barnard is on faculty of the Worcester Family Medicine Residency, and enjoys teaching students and residents the skills of family medicine for a diverse urban population. She lives in Worcester with her husband and children, and is an active member of the Worcester Friends (Quaker) Meeting and has recently enjoyed volunteering with Friends of Newton Hill on the newly-created cross country ski trails in the park.
More information about the Foundation, and how community members can continue to support its mission, can be found at reliantfoundation.org.
About The Reliant Foundation
Established in 1988 as a public charity, the Reliant Foundation (formerly operated as the Reliant Medical Group Foundation) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals of all ages in the Central and Metro West regions of Massachusetts. As a 501(c)3 charity, the Foundation offers grants to non-profit organizations within its service area for the purpose of supporting programs that battle critical public health issues like the opioid epidemic, children’s mental health and childhood obesity. For more information, please visit www.reliantfoundation.org.
