WHEREAS, Debbie Oswalt was the guiding force behind the creation of the Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) in 1992, a public-private partnership established by the General Assembly and its Joint Commission on Healthcare that is dedicated to increasing access to primary health care, including behavioral health services, for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians; and

WHEREAS, for 32 years, Debbie Oswalt has shepherded the VHCF’s efforts as its Founding Director, building it into a respected and innovative organization that has made primary care attainable for Virginians lacking healthcare coverage; and

WHEREAS, through exemplary stewardship, a dedication to excellence, a commitment to driving change, and unwavering integrity, the VHCF has helped more than 800,000 Virginians obtain essential health care; and

WHEREAS, under Debbie Oswalt’s dynamic and entrepreneurial leadership, the VHCF has generated $10 billion in free medicines for 373,000 uninsured Virginians; enrolled more than 150,000 individuals in Medicaid coverage; developed successful initiatives to address the severe shortage of licensed behavioral health professionals; and invested $68 million to expand Virginia’s health and dental safety net practices; and

WHEREAS, Debbie Oswalt, a 1979 graduate of Rutgers University School of Law, launched her distinguished career in healthcare advocacy as an attorney with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, later serving as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources under Governors Baliles and Wilder, where she collaborated closely with state agencies responsible for regulating, delivering, and monitoring health services; and

WHEREAS, Debbie Oswalt has received numerous honors, including the Richmond YMCA’s Outstanding Woman in Health and Science Award; the Child Advocate Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics – Virginia Chapter; the Social Justice Maker Award from the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy; the Excellence in Virginia Government Award for Innovation in Government from the L.D. Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University; and

WHEREAS, the partnership between Debbie Oswalt and the VHCF, the Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources, and the Right Help, Right Now initiative led by Governor Glenn Youngkin has helped to fundamentally change the Commonwealth’s approach to behavioral health, thus leaving an indelible mark on Virginia; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia commends the more than three decades of dedication and lifetime contributions made by Deborah D. Oswalt to strengthening the Spirit of Virginia through service to hundreds of thousands of Virginians through the VHCF; 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize March 30, 2025, as DEBORAH D. OSWALT DAY in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all of our citizens.