Wright receives Freshman Legislator of the Year award

In just his first term in office, State Rep. Dale Wright, R-Farmington, has earned the praise for his leadership and expertise on issues related to health care policy.

In recognition for his efforts, House Speaker Elijah Haahr recently presented Wright with the Freshman Legislator of the Year Award for Health Care Policy Advocacy.

Wright received the award in part for his efforts on several House committees that consider healthcare-related legislation. He is a member of the House Health and Mental Health Policy Committee, and also serves on the House Insurance Policy Committee and the House Special Committee on Aging.

Haahr noted that Wright has become a respected voice on his committees as his colleagues have learned to value the perspective he brings from more than four decades of experience in the healthcare industry.

The freshman representative has worked as a healthcare executive, business owner, and a partner in both a healthcare consulting company and a pharmaceutical and medical device distributor. He received numerous honors during his time in the healthcare field and was named to the Who’s Who of American Healthcare Executives.

Before entering the political arena, Wright worked in the private healthcare sector serving as chief contracting officer for Amerinet (now known as Intalere) which is an organization that negotiates with large corporations to secure discounts for their some 90,000 clients nationwide. Wright also served as the president of an Amerinet subsidiary called AmeriChoice where he held this position for 15 years.   

“I want to thank Speaker Haahr for giving me the opportunity to serve on committees that I am familiar with and policy that can make a substantive difference in the lives of Missouri families. It’s an honor to be recognized for the contributions I have made during my first months in office,” said Wright. “I am committed to working on behalf of my district and the state to help improve our system of health care so that we keep costs down while also improving outcomes for Missourians from all walks of life.”

Along with his work on the various committees, Wright has aided in creating task forces for Education, Medicaid, Behavioral Health as well as several other task forces in order to create more effective bills pertaining to these areas.

Wright serves as the state representative for House District 116, which is comprised of portions of St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, and Perry Counties. 

Rep. Dale Wright, R-Farmington, is presented the Freshman Legislator of the Year Award by House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield.

Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3628, or at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com.