Health Equity from the Frontlines

Dr. Zoila D. Escobar grew from a young woman who struggled to read to serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the country's largest federally qualified health center. Listen to part two of our interview with Dr. Escobar as she discusses her values, inspiration, challenges as a woman leader, and how she leads.

Growing up undocumented alongside four sisters, Dr. Zoila D. Escobar says she was not meant to attend school. All of her sisters excelled in school with ease, but she struggled to read. Later as an adult, she was diagnosed with dyslexia and read her first book – cover to cover – at 19. By age 42, she received her BA, and at 52, she earned her master's degree; last year, she earned her doctorate, all while juggling full-time work and parenthood. Join us as Dr. Escobar shares how she persevered to earn her education and what led her to become one of AltaMed's executive leaders and the President of the AltaMed Foundation.

Sometimes, finding your passion does not always follow a linear path. Dr. Daniel Diaz knows this from experience firsthand. Before pursuing medicine, he thought he might become a mechanical engineer or a physical therapist. However, in this episode we learn that not succeeding is not the same thing as failing. With a lifelong interest in sports and a commitment to his community, Dr. Diaz eventually found his true calling in sports medicine. His passion and enthusiasm for this specialty is evident as he paves the road for an increase in sports medicine integration at federally qualified health centers. Through his leadership, AltaMed now has a new ACGME-accredited fellowship that will build a pipeline training more sports medicine physicians committed to helping underserved patients. If you are interested in learning more about AltaMed's new Sports Medicine Fellowship, email us at smfellowship@altamed.org. Click here to view this episode's transcript.

MD, PhD or MPH, porque no los tres? Meet Dr. Marie Flores, a double doctora (physician researcher) committed to bridging public health and medicine. After being denied entrance to medical school, Dr. Flores refocused her efforts to earn an MPH and PhD in epidemiology at UCLA. As a person who uses a wheelchair, many doubted her, but she proved that her disability is an asset to being an outstanding physician. Listen in as she shares her experiences and the advice she gives to anyone questioning their pre-health path.

When Berenice Nunez Constant started her career in healthcare, she thought she was going to be an ultrasound technician. In staying true to herself and her passion for uplifting the Latinx community, the opportunities she pursued led Berenice to a career in healthcare administration and policy. Now, she is the Senior Vice President of Government Relations & Civic Engagement at AltaMed Health Services where she works closely with Lizette Escobedo, Associate Vice President of Civic Engagement & Advocacy to lead the successful “My Vote, My Health” campaign. Find out what civic engagement has to do with health equity as Berenice and Lizette share their journeys and speak on the intersection of health and advocacy. For more information on how to get involved in this election season, visit myvotemyhealth.org or mivotomisalud.org.

Less than six percent of US-based physicians are Latino/a. Necesitamos mas – culturally competent care is critical to health equity. Dr. Cesar Padilla and Dr. Michael Galvez are committed to changing these numbers. As first-gen students and community college alums, they recognize the power of mentorship and pipeline programs. Take a listen as they share their path as physicians, their thoughts on the future of medicine, and why they created National Latina/o Physician Day. The first ever National Latina/o Physician Day is being held October 1st. Visit www.nationallatinaphysicianday.com or www.nationallatinophysicianday.com for more information.

In the final half of our interview with Dr. Adrienne Martinez-Hollingsworth, we deep dive into her research. From provider wellness and burnout to patients' lived experiences, these are all critical factors in health outcomes. Adrienne explores how our biases carry into our work and how we can flip the switch on how we interpret cultural norms that may look negative but are rooted in survival.

Dr. Adrienne Martinez-Hollingsworth is a nurse, researcher, activist, and artist combining her passions to eliminate health disparities. In this special two-part episode, we hear how Adrienne got her start in healthcare. She shares how her hardships and experiences with murals motivated her to pursue her career in healthcare.

Our patients' life experiences are extraordinary, not average. And so are the lives of a pre-med. They do not fit neatly within the course requirements of a four-year or five-year-and-more undergraduate degree. Vanessa Peña-Garcia, Erick Leyva Bedolla, and Aisli Valencia are all working professionals in a different phase on their path to medical school. The pre-meds discuss it all - from the pressure of perfection, gratitude for the family who've come before them, and overcoming doubt.

Finding common ground and connecting with patients while working to destigmatize mental health issues is a tall order. Add to that the unique concerns communities of color have regarding mental health issues, and the task becomes even more daunting. The solution, according to psychiatrist and primary care provider Dr. Christine Kho, is more empathy. In this episode, Dr. Kho discusses incorporating cultural humility into patient care. She dives into the need for self-reflection, especially in terms of race and ethnic identity, and how this work propelled her into her career.

Dr. Talamantes, a recognized leader of health equity, found himself referenced in a paper used to discredit medical students of color. Speaking out against the claims and the continued ways people of color are left behind, Dr. Talamantes offers some resolve and his hopes for healthcare and the well-being of our communities.

Season 1 closes out with a two-part episode interviewing our very own co-host Dr. Efrain Talamantes. As a physician of color and AltaMed's COO, Dr. Talamantes reflects on the past year from the pandemic to racial violence. He shares with us how mentors have guided him through challenging times and have made him more resilient to lead. As Dr. Talamantes says farewell to his co-hosts we welcome a new voice to the podcast. Take a listen to meet our new co-host Tatiana Alvarez with AltaMed's Institute for Health Equity.

The Black experience in academia and feminizing frogs — two things you'd never thought you'd hear together. On the podcast is Dr. Tyrone Hayes, Professor of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley, one of the only tenured Black biology professors in the country. Dr. Hayes joins us to share how he stood his ground and followed his values after battling with a corporation that attempted to discredit his work and his name. During the wake of George Floyd's murder and the resulting Black Lives Matter protests, Dr. Hayes penned an open letter to UC Berkeley about the discrimination he faced as a Black professor in his department. Listen in as the doctors discuss with Dr. Hayes confidence, imposter syndrome, and pressure of having the spotlight on you as the only person of color in the room.

Though Dr. Ilan Shapiro has only been with AltaMed since 2016, he has already made a significant impact on the organization and the greater communities it serves. Dr. Shapiro is a tireless advocate for health care equality, with a deep affinity for innovation and public health policy, especially relating to the Latino population.

Kelley Butler is a rising 4th-year student at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. Hailing from Los Angeles, Kelley has committed herself to serve marginalized communities. She is an active member of various causes dedicated to students and professionals of color, people suffering from substance abuse disorder and addiction, people experiencing houselessness, and others. On her medical campus, Kelley is known for her work in social justice, health advocacy, and initiatives targeted for minority students. Kelley most recently completed her Masters of Public Health in Health Policy at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. There, she leads organizing efforts in juvenile justice reform and prison divestment, presented research on substance use and addiction treatment, completed a fellowship in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, increased civic engagement on campus through the Harvard Votes Campaign, and oversaw a workshop series on Imposter Syndrome. She is currently implementing her new knowledge and skills next in Portland, Oregon as an Opioid Response Program Associate for Greater Oregon Behavioral Health Inc. Kelley graduated from Howard University in 2015 with a passion for serving communities without access to health insurance, quality healthcare or education. As such, she's dedicated herself to educating and serving both local and international communities in need. She's traveled to Panama, Kenya, and Angola on medical missions thus far and looks forward to continuing to be of service to all mankind.

Gloria Itzel Montiel, Ph.D. was born in Mexico and immigrated to the US at age 8. She earned a Bachelor's and Ed.M. from Harvard University and Ph.D. at Claremont Graduate University (CGU). Dr. Montiel serves as Senior Grant Writer at the AltaMed Institute for Health Equity and as a consultant with community-based organizations. Her work focuses on health equity in low-income communities of color. She has published and presented her work nationally and received many awards. As one of the first DACA recipients to receive a Ph.D. in the US, she has been interviewed by local and national media. Her educational journey was also captured in the short documentary film “Almost American,” which premiered at the Newport Film Festival in 2011. She currently teaches graduate-level courses at CGU. https://www.altamed.org/altamed-institute-health-equity 

Dr. Dinora  Chinchilla was born in Lincoln Heights, California and completed her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with a Minor in Biology at California State University, Los Angeles. She then completed a Post-bac and received her medical degree at the University of California, Irvine. She completed her residency training in internal medicine at Harbor-UCLA. Dr. chinchilla credits her family and overcoming various health disparities as the drivers of her passion to become a pulmonary critical care physician.

Dr. Sherrill R. Brown was born in Rancho Cordova, California, and raised by her single mother who worked full time as an Echocardiogram Technician at Kaiser Permanente Morse Hospital in Sacramento, California. She attended American River College for her first two years of college and then transferred to the University of California, Davis where she received her Bachelor in Science degree in Biochemistry.  Dr. Brown worked as a Reuse Technician for DaVita during a gap year between college and medical school where she learned more about the complex challenges patients face in accessing hemodialysis. She received her medical degree from the New York Medical College in Valhalla New York in 2008 and completed her internal medicine residency training at the University of California, Davis Medical Center where she began her scholarly work in infection prevention. She worked as a Hospitalist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) before completing an Infectious Disease Fellowship in the Cedars Sinai/UCLA Combined Infectious Disease Program. After fellowship, she worked at Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills and then the UC Davis Medical Center and Veteran Affairs Northern California Health System caring for patients with HIV at One Community Health Center while working in the areas of infection prevention, and antibiotic stewardship. She currently serves as the Site Medical Director of the Pico Passons Clinic in Pico Rivera and the Medical Director of Infection Prevention at AltaMed. She is the proud mother of Alianna and Fabian and is married to Dr. Efrain Talamantes.

As a core faculty member of AltaMed's Family Medicine Residency Program, Dr. Marco Angulo brings an invaluable combination of experience and perspective, thanks to his background of working with and training residents in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) setting. He is committed to supporting and growing the program and helping create a strong workforce that is well prepared to serve the medically vulnerable areas of Southern California. His passion is personal since Dr. Angulo was raised there. Even before he became a physician, Dr. Angulo knew his life's work was to serve these communities. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in Chicano Studies. He entered medical school at University of California, Irvine (UCI), and participated in the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC), which was created to develop physician leaders to address health disparities in the United States and beyond. Dr. Angulo stayed on as a faculty member at the UCI Family Medicine Department, where he served as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the medical school and as the Director of the PRIME-LC Residency Program. Prior to joining AltaMed in 2014, Dr. Angulo also served as Chief Medical Officer of an FQHC in Santa Ana. In 2016, UCI Health awarded Dr. Angulo the prestigious ARIISE Award for creating an innovative health navigation program focused on the needs of FQHCs. As a resident, he was awarded the AAFP/Bristol-Meyer Squibb Award for Excellence for Graduate Medical Education. He was also inducted into the Gold Humanism Honors Society as a medical student and faculty member at UCI. Throughout his career, Dr. Angulo has challenged the next generation of physician leaders to chip away at health disparities and develop solutions that lower barriers to patient care. In 2012, Dr. Angulo created the Health Scholars Program, one of the largest volunteer/clinical experience programs in Orange County dedicated to closing gaps in care and helping patients more effectively navigate the health care system. Dr. Angulo is an avid baseball fan (go Dodgers!), and his goal is to watch a baseball game in every major league baseball stadium. Currently, he's made it to 11 stadiums, with 19 more to go. Education Family Medicine Residency Program, University of California, Irvine M.D., University of California, Irvine M.Soc.Sci., University of California, Irvine B.A., Chicano Studies, University of California, Berkeley Link: https://www.altamed.org/our-staff

Meet The Institute podcast hosts Dr. Efrain Talamantes, Dr. Marco Angulo and Dr. Roger Liu.