President and CEO
Bi-State PCA
Tess Stack Kuenning, CNS, MS, RN, has dedicated her 45-year career as a nurse, a trusted public health leader, and national health policy expert to serving and advocating for individuals and communities in need of quality, affordable, comprehensive primary care and preventive health services.
Since 1995, Ms. Kuenning has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Bi-State Primary Care Association, a nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that provides advocacy, education, and training and technical assistance to its 27 member organizations across New Hampshire and Vermont, which include Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Bi-State was founded in 1986 by a small group of committed individuals with a shared goal of enhancing access to primary care services to residents of New Hampshire and Vermont. Bi-State’s journey began with just one FQHC in each state, collectively serving 10,000. Under Ms. Kuenning’s leadership, Bi-State’s workforce has grown from 6 employees to over 20 and its membership has grown to encompass 21 FQHCs, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, and several affiliated organizations, serving over 312,000 patients across both states.
Bi-State’s goal is to ensure the people of New Hampshire and Vermont have access to high-quality, affordable, comprehensive, and team-based medical, dental, mental and behavioral health, including MAT/SUD, and pharmacy services. Ms. Kuenning works with federal and state policymakers, health policy organizations, foundations, and payers to develop strategies and programs that promote, sustain, and build community based primary health care services and infrastructure.
Prior to joining Bi-State, Ms. Kuenning worked for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as the principal public health advisor throughout New England, and as a nurse consultant for the Health Care Finance Administration.
Ms. Kuenning holds a master’s degree in Nursing and Public/Community Health and is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Maternal and Child Health. Her practice experience includes tertiary care in hospital cardiac specialty and ICU and serving as a Clinical Nurse Specialist primary care provider and educator, designing Maternal Child Health Programs for clinics in Kathmandu and rural Nepal.
Ms. Kuenning has been formally recognized by numerous organizations and institutions for her contributions to improving public health and for her decades of experience and service in the Community Health Center movement, which serves as the primary care safety net for more than 31 million Americans.
PCA and HCCN General Session (Invitation Only)
Monday, February 3, 2025
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET