Blue Shield of California Foundation Announces Clinic Leadership Institute Class of 2011
Foundation expects program to strengthen safety net in 25 California communities
San Francisco, January 20, 2010 - Blue Shield of California Foundation (BSCF) has announced the selection of health clinic professionals from over two dozen communities for the 2011 class of Clinic Leadership Institute. The program, which was launched in 2007, aims to strengthen California's health safety net by preparing emerging leaders from California's network of community clinics and health centers to be agents of change in today's rapidly evolving healthcare environment.
California's 800 community clinics provide medical care to over four million people annually, the majority of whom are living below the federal poverty level. Record numbers of Californians have been turning to clinics for help as high unemployment and state budget woes have left more and more people without health insurance.
"The challenges affecting California's safety net require health clinic professionals to adapt and innovate on the front lines like never before," said Brenda Solórzano, who directs the Foundation's Health Care and Coverage program. "Our experience shows that when we invest in emerging clinic leaders with the skills and knowledge to solve problems, clinics become more effective and patients get better care."
Over the next 18 months, participants in the Institute will attend intensive sessions that include finance management, strategy development, health policy, and applying their new skills to special projects in their clinics. The program is administered by the Center for the Health Professions at the University of California, San Francisco, and was designed with input from community clinic representatives, as well as regional and national experts in the field of leadership development.
The Clinic Leadership Institute, a signature project of BSCF, is an outgrowth of the Foundation's longstanding commitment to supporting California's healthcare safety net. Since 2003, BSCF has invested nearly $41 million in over 200 health clinics and their associations across California.
BSCF's Clinic Leadership Institute Class of 2011:
Humboldt County
Tammy Flint, Site Administrator, Open Door Community Health Centers - North Country Clinic, Arcata
Sarah Kerr, Director of Patient Services, Six Rivers Planned Parenthood, Eureka
Sacramento Area
Molly Brassil, Deputy Director of Regulatory Affairs, California Primary Care Association, Sacramento
Lourdes Guzman, Office Manager, Del Norte Clinics, Inc., Richland Family Health Center, Yuba City
Lisa McKay, Director of Operations & Finance, Sacramento Native American Health Center, Sacramento
San Bernardino County
Cynthia Prendiz, Community Outreach Director, Kids Come First, Ontario
San Diego Area
Amparo Mahler, Chief Operating Officer, Neighborhood Healthcare, Escondido
Myrna Torresdey, Health Education Coordinator, La Maestra Family Clinic, Inc., San Diego
San Francisco Bay Area
Maricela Gutierrez, Director, School Based/Linked Health Services, Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, Inc., Hayward
Rochelle Hayes, Clinic Manager/Family Nurse Practitioner, Native American Health Center, San Francisco
Tracy Mendez, Operations Administrator, La Clinica de La Raza, Inc., Oakland
Carlos Ramos, Early Intervention Family Services Program Coordinator, Gardner Family Care Corporation/Gardner Family Health Network, Inc., San Jose
Emily Saltzman, Director of Quality Assurance and Improvement, Marin Community Clinics, Novato
Santa Barbara County
Monica Cruz, Center Director, Planned Parenthood Santa Maria, Santa Maria
San Joaquin County
Michelle Bagalayos, Controller, Community Medical Centers, Inc., Stockton
Shasta County
Katrina Delevati, Director of Human Resources, Shasta Community Health Center, Redding
Joyce Jordan, Project Coordinator, Winters Healthcare Foundation, Inc., Winters
Afton Fitzgerald, Executive Assistant, Hill Country Health and Wellness Center, Round Mountain
Sonoma County
Pedro Toledo, Director of Government & Community Relations, Redwood Community Health Coalition, Petaluma
Los Angeles Area
Sara Davis, Accounting & Administrative Manager, Women's Clinic & Family Counseling Center, Los Angeles
Darrell Lind, Director of Clinical Services, The Catalyst Foundation, Lancaster
Eleni Manousogiannakis, Director, Program Development and Quality Improvement, Venice Family Clinic, Venice
Marie McKinney, Chief Operating Officer, Westside Family Health Center, Santa Monica
Napa County
Priscila Gloria, Medical Clinic Manager, Community Health Clinic Ole, Napa
Orange County
Russell Bong Vergara, Director, Health Policy & Development, The Coalition of Orange County Community Clinics, Irvine
About Blue Shield of California Foundation
Blue Shield of California Foundation is one of the largest healthcare grantmaking organizations in California. For more information, visit: www.blueshieldcafoundation.org. The Foundation was formed by Blue Shield of California, a not-for-profit corporation with more than 3.4 million members, 4,700 employees and 20 offices throughout California. For more information about the company, please visit www.blueshieldca.com.
About the Center for the Health Professions at UCSF
Since 1992, the Center has been dedicated to transforming health care by delivering leadership programs to empower change agents at every level and within all sectors of the health care system; and by producing nationally and internationally recognized, unbiased research to help health care decision makers understand today's workforce issues and design actionable strategies to solve them. For more information about the Center, visit: http://futurehealth.ucsf.edu/