Our Mission & Leadership
Legacy Health Foundation was established in 2008 with a single mission: to ensure that every older adult in the Portland metropolitan area has access to the health education, clinical navigation, and community support they need to live with dignity, independence, and purpose. We believe that chronic disease, cognitive decline, and caregiver burnout are not inevitable consequences of aging but manageable conditions that respond to evidence-based intervention and compassionate community support.
Margaret Chen-Okafor
RN, MSN — Executive Director
Founding Story
Margaret Chen-Okafor founded Legacy Health Foundation after spending two decades as a registered nurse specializing in geriatric care across Oregon’s community health system. Working in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies, Margaret witnessed firsthand how preventable hospitalizations, medication mismanagement, and caregiver exhaustion devastated families—particularly in underserved communities where health literacy barriers, language differences, and lack of insurance navigation compounded the challenges of aging.
In 2007, Margaret completed her Master of Science in Nursing at Oregon Health & Science University with a thesis on peer-facilitated chronic disease management among Korean and Vietnamese immigrant elders in the Portland metro area. The research demonstrated that culturally concordant peer facilitators achieved significantly higher engagement rates and clinical outcomes than traditional provider-led education models. This finding became the philosophical cornerstone of Legacy Health Foundation: that the most effective health interventions are delivered by people who share the language, culture, and lived experience of those they serve.
The Foundation incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in January 2008, beginning with a single pilot Chronic Disease Self-Management Program workshop at the East Portland Community Center, funded by a $35,000 seed grant from the Oregon Community Foundation. Within three years, the organization had expanded to five community sites, hired its first full-time community health worker, and secured ongoing funding from Providence Health & Services Community Benefit. Today, Legacy Health Foundation operates from its offices at 2205 NW Vaughn Street in Portland’s Nob Hill neighborhood and serves participants across the entire Multnomah County region through twelve community partner sites.
Margaret continues to lead the organization as Executive Director, balancing administrative leadership with direct program facilitation. She serves on the Oregon Governor’s Commission on Senior Services, the Multnomah County Aging & Disability Services Advisory Council, and the Providence Portland Community Advisory Board. In 2022, she received the Oregon Health Authority’s Community Health Champion Award for her sustained contributions to elder wellness in the Portland metropolitan area.
Advisory Board
Our advisory board brings together clinical expertise, community advocacy, and nonprofit leadership to guide the Foundation’s strategic direction and ensure fiscal accountability.
Dr. James Thornton, MD
Board Chair
Retired geriatrician and former Chief of Geriatric Medicine at Providence Portland Medical Center. 35 years of clinical practice in elder care and chronic disease management.
Patricia Hernandez, LCSW
Vice Chair
Licensed clinical social worker specializing in geriatric care transitions and caregiver mental health. Director of Social Services at the Multnomah County Area Agency on Aging.
David Nakamura, CPA
Treasurer
Managing partner at Nakamura & Associates, CPAs. Specializes in nonprofit financial management and compliance. Serves on the Oregon Society of CPAs Nonprofit Committee.
Rev. Grace Okonkwo, DMin
Secretary
Senior Pastor at Northeast Portland Community Church and community health advocate. Leads faith-based health education initiatives reaching over two thousand congregants.
Linda Tran, PharmD
Member
Clinical pharmacist and medication therapy management specialist. Faculty at Pacific University School of Pharmacy. Expertise in polypharmacy reduction for older adults.
Robert Johnson, MBA
Member
Retired healthcare administrator and former VP of Community Health at Legacy Health System. Brings three decades of health system operations and community benefit programming experience.
Our Guiding Principles
Health Equity Above All
Every program we offer prioritizes access for individuals facing the greatest barriers: low-income seniors, non-English speakers, homebound individuals, and communities of color disproportionately affected by chronic disease disparities.
Evidence-Based Practice
We implement only interventions validated through peer-reviewed clinical research, including the Stanford CDSMP, the Otago Exercise Programme, Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, and SHIBA Medicare counseling standards.
Peer-Led, Community-Rooted
Our most effective programs are facilitated by trained peers who share the lived experience of chronic illness, caregiving, and aging. Community health workers serve as the bridge between clinical systems and the individuals they serve.
Transparent Stewardship
We maintain administrative overhead below 14%, publish annual audited financial statements, hold GuideStar Gold Transparency status, and report outcomes data publicly. Donors and partners deserve full accountability for every dollar entrusted to our mission.
Join Our Team
We are always seeking dedicated volunteers, peer facilitators, and donors who share our commitment to elder wellness and health equity in the Portland community.
Get Involved →