Karen Gottlieb, RN

Karen Gottlieb is an expert on the health care crisis in the United States and free clinics serving the uninsured. As the executive director of Connecticut’s largest free clinic program and a board member of the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, she can speak to the issue of health care reform on both a national and a local level.

Karen joined AmeriCares in 1994 and started the organization’s first free clinic in Norwalk, Connecticut to meet the growing health care needs of the working poor. She was named executive director in 1996. Under her leadership, AmeriCares opened two additional clinics in Connecticut – one in Danbury and another in Bridgeport. To date, the program has provided more than 20,000 patients with $44 million worth of high-quality medical care.

Karen oversees and directs all activities of the three clinics, including program development, recruitment of staff and more than 200 volunteers, training, community awareness and fundraising. She also develops the strategic vision and plan for overall growth and development for AmeriCares Free Clinics. Prior to joining AmeriCares, Karen served as a critical care instructor, established and directed a multidisciplinary cardiac rehabilitation program and started a cardiac rehabilitation association for the state of Connecticut.

She earned a nursing degree from Russell Sage College as well as a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University. Karen has appeared on CNN, Fox News, News 12 Connecticut, WTNH – TV in New Haven, Connecticut, WSHU radio in Fairfield, Connecticut and WLAD Radio in Danbury. She has also been interviewed by The Associated Press, the Hartford Courant, The Connecticut Post, The (Danbury) News-Times, The (Norwalk) Hour, and The (Stamford) Advocate.