For nearly three decades, Chris Newman has grown alongside Yakima Neighborhood Health Services (YNHS)—from answering phones as a medical receptionist in 1994 to now serving as the Chief Operating Officer. Her journey is a powerful testament to what hard work, heart, and a commitment to community health can achieve.
Starting fresh out of high school with no formal experience, she leaned on the work ethic her parents and grandparents instilled in her. “My dad always said, ‘Measure twice, cut once.’ I still carry that with me today,” says Newman.
After a year at the front desk, she trained as a Medical Assistant and over time, became a trusted lead and trainer of others. “I didn’t have experience, but I had drive,” she says. Her skills, especially critical thinking and anticipation of provider needs, earned her recognition as a team player—and eventually a leader. “My provider and I were like Kobe and Shaq,” she jokes, “a dynamic duo.”
Though she briefly left YNHS in 1999 to move to California, the pull of family and her deep connection to YNHS brought her back. “I knew I wouldn’t find the same sense of family anywhere else.”
Newman’s rise through the organization continued from Medical Assistant Team Lead to Supervisor, Chief Integration Officer, and finally Chief Operating Officer in 2023. Through it all, she has embraced change, especially the shift to Team-Based Care and the rollout of Electronic Health Records (EHR), which she calls a “game changer” for coordinated patient care. “Before EHR, we used paper charts, and because our patients are medically complex, we had many volumes of charts,” says Newman. “It was difficult to provide integrated care when a provider was documenting in the paper chart and the patient was receiving services from Behavioral Health or Dental, and they also needed to review the patient’s chart.”
What’s kept her at YNHS all these years? She credits mentors like Dr. Jocelyn Pedrosa and the current leadership for challenging her, inspiring her, and encouraging her to grow.
“It’s the mission, the values, and the people that have kept me here,” says Newman. “I believe everyone deserves quality care, and I get to be part of that. I’ve grown up at YNHS—it’s not just where I work, it’s a part of who I am.”
