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FCCH welcomes new CEO

First Choice Community Healthcare welcomes our new Chief Executive Officer, Dr. John S. Pearson 

Dr. John S. Pearson is the Chief Executive Officer of First Choice Community Healthcare in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He retired from the military in 2019 after a 26-year career as a US Army Medical Service Corps Officer. With multiple deployments and assignments in the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, his leadership experiences have enabled him to increase access to care and synchronize healthcare operations in urban, rural, and austere locations with commendable outcomes. Before joining First Choice Community Healthcare, he was the Chief Healthcare Administrator at the Heart of Florida Health Center. Prior to his work in the FQHC community, he served as a professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in the Department of Healthcare Management & Leadership. His military executive healthcare experiences include serving as Chief Operating Officer at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, Chief Operating Officer for the US European Command, and Hospital Vice President of Operations at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. 

Highlights of his professional career include serving as a US Army MEDEVAC helicopter pilot, two combat tours in the Middle East, and earning the prestigious Legion of Merit Medal, Airborne Badge, Army Aviator Badge, and the Expert Field Medical Badges. For his actions and leadership during combat operations, Dr. Pearson was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He has been recognized as a Distinguished Member of the US Army Medical Department Regiment and awarded the Order of Military Medical Merit for his distinguished and exemplary service to the nation. He is a lifetime member of the National Association of Community Health Centers, and the Citadel and MUSC Alumni Associations. 

Dr. Pearson holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The Citadel, a master’s degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan University, a doctorate in Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina, and an Executive Certificate in Health Care Delivery Strategy from the Harvard Business School. He is a published author in peer-reviewed medical journals on healthcare leadership, health policy, and process improvements in healthcare quality and equity.