February 17, 2025 3:30 a.m. 

On Wednesday, Aviva Health Chief Financial Officer Leah Woods was recognized as one of 12 Emerging Leader Award recipients by the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health, in collaboration with the National Association of Community Health Centers.

According to the Geiger Gibson Program Website, the Emerging Leader Award was established in 2007 to showcase the accomplishments of a new generation of health center leaders. Candidates for the awards are nominated by the leaders of their health center, primary care association or network, and awardees are selected by a committee drawn from senior health center movement leadership.

Aviva CEO KC Bolton said, “We couldn’t be prouder of Leah for being recognized as a Geiger Gibson Emerging Leader”. Bolton said, “This award is a significant accomplishment, and it speaks volumes about Leah’s leadership, dedication and the impacts she’s making – not just here at Aviva Health, but in the broader community health movement. Leah is the kind of leader who rolls up her sleeves, digs in and gets things done, always with a focus on what’s best for our patients and our team”. Bolton said, “She’s the real deal, and this recognition is so well deserved”.

The Aviva release said Woods began her career at Aviva Health in 2017 as the organization’s controller. She was promoted to CFO at the young age of 30 after the retirement of her boss. During her time at Aviva Health, Woods has become an expert in Medicaid reimbursement, optimizing Aviva Health’s Prospective Payment System rate, adding over $5 million to the organization’s financial base annually.

Woods was also responsible for leading an initiative to protect all of Oregon’s FQHC/CHC’s Medicaid funding and reimbursement under Oregon’s new Sustainable Health Care Cost Growth Target Program. She is also the executive for Human Resources operations, where she has spearheaded initiatives to boost employee satisfaction and engagement.

For more information about Aviva Health, go to: www.aviva.health