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.  

Watch a brief video to hear what past participants say about their experiences with the Clinic Leadership Institute.

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/