Framingham’s Davis Receives 2022 Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcare Award

FRAMINGHAM – The Women’s Edge, (formerly the Commonwealth Institute), the leading nonprofit organization devoted to advancing all women leaders, recognized winners of their 2022, Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcaren Awards, at a dinner on November 16, at the District Hall Boston.

Framingham resident Eileen Davis, Vice President of the United Ways Mass211 statewide information and referral service, and Founder and Director of Call2Talk, an emotional support, mental health, and suicide prevention program, was celebrated among other esteemed woman leaders, as a winner of this first of its kind award.

Barri Blauvelt, founder and co-Chair of the EWAH Awards and CEO of Innovara, Inc., proposed the awards in late 2018. “I was researching women in executive leadership across diverse sectors of healthcare. I noticed that few from Massachusetts were being acknowledged for their contributions. That was when I realized that for our amazing emerging leaders to be recognized, we need to help them. That was the true beginning.”

Over 150 nominations were received for the 2022 Awards. Ten finalists were selected for their impact and innovating ways of advancing healthcare, for inspiring and leading others, and fostering diversity.

“I am overwhelmed with gratitude to have been selected to receive the Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcare Award from The Women’s Edge,” said Davis. “There are many others who deserve to share in this award. Top of listis Paul Mina, President & CEO at the United Way of Tri-County. Paul believed in me and my vision for the mental health, emotional support, and suicide prevention hotline, and I am grateful for the opportunity to build and grow an amazing program that I am beyond proud to lead. Congratulations to all the winners, I am honored and flattered to be recognized along with them.”

Davis is the VP of Mass211, the statewide service that connects callers to information about critical health & human services available in their community. Eileen is also the Founder and Director of Call2Talk, the statewide emotional support, mental health, and suicide prevention helpline.

Mass 211 is an easy to remember number that serves as a resource for finding things such as emergency housing, childcare, food security, government benefits, behavioral health, disaster preparedness and youth services. She is responsible for operational, technological, and staffing aspects of the program.  Through her leadership, Mass211 has partnered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to provide covid related resources over 1.5 million times to residents since the start of the pandemic. 

Call2Talk actively engages with callers to help alleviate their feelings of despair, loneliness and potential suicide ideation. Call2Talk is also a member of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Network of Crisis Centers. She oversees all aspects of the program’s operation including staff and volunteer recruitment, training, scheduling, program outreach, and sustainability.

Davis also oversees the TeleCheck program as well as LOSSteam MetroWest. She is the Founder and Chair of The MetroWest Regional Coalition for Suicide Prevention, holds a seat on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention, is an alumnus of the MetroWest Health Foundation Leadership Program of 2014, and was a recipient of the 2010 Massachusetts Leadership in Suicide Prevention Award.

In 2017 her leadership lead Call2Talk as a finalist in the Excellence in Crisis Center Award from the American Association of Suicidology.

“The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a global leader in the healthcare industry so it is fitting that The Women’s Edge – an organization founded 25 years ago to help women leaders in Massachusetts achieve greater success – would celebrate and honor emerging women leaders in the industry,” said Elizabeth L. Hailer, CEO of The Women’s Edge, and EWAH co-Chair. “This award is a testament to the dedication, innovation and influence of each of these extraordinary women leaders.”
Eileen and ten fellow awardees were honored at the EWAH awards dinner on November 16.

Call2Talk is a confidential mental health, emotional support and suicide prevention call line that assists individuals and families through stressful times in their lives. Call2Talk’s well trained call-takers offer compassionate, non-judgmental, emotional support to callers in need. Call2Talk partners with Crisis Text Line 24/7, providing texting access with the same level of support and information.

Call2Talk also offers TeleCheck, a phone check-in service for isolated seniors who are experiencing the onset of a sudden life change, and the LOSSteam MetroWest, working with six local police departments to offer immediate on-site peer emotional support to suicide loss survivors.

Mass2-1-1 is a free, easy-to-remember phone number that connects Massachusetts residents with important services in their local
communities. It can be used for non-emergency daily needs and in crisis situations. Every day highly trained Mass2-1-1 Information and Referral specialists are available to provide up-to-date information and referrals connecting residents to local health and human service programs in the neighborhoods where they live.

The Women’s Edge (formerly the Commonwealth Institute) is a non-profit organization that works with women CEOs, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, and the rising generation of women leaders to help them build successful businesses, organizations, and careers. For 25 years, The Women’s Edge has provided a variety of opportunities to propel women leaders to achieve personal and professional success and deliver positive impact within their businesses and communities.

In full transparency, the press release and photos were submitted to SOURCE media.