After leading healthcare organizations in San Joaquin County for many years, you joined Marin Community Clinics at the end of 2023. What is something that surprised you about Marin County?
I was surprised to learn just how much of an underbelly of poverty and despair exists amidst the foreground of affluence that one normally associates with Marin. It is a stark reminder of why Marin Community Clinics exists: to address the healthcare and social services needs of underserved individuals through excellent, compassionate care for all, regardless of ability to pay. It’s a staggering statistic that MCC cares for 1 in 5 Marin residents. I am looking forward to increasing public awareness and donor support for MCC’s safety net mission through more visible community engagement activities and policy advocacy efforts at the local, state, and federal levels.
Describe your efforts to increase access to care.
MCC is making a hard push to reduce every possible barrier to access for the patients and families it serves. MCC’s leadership team has been reconfigured to maximize efficiency and has challenged itself to revisit every operational decision it has historically made that may have inadvertently limited access. New and veteran leaders are injecting revitalized energy into operations while adopting a patient-centered mindset. MCC’s focus on clinical quality and health equity has always been paramount but work remains to be done to make care available to the many who need it. I believe that access versus quality is a false equivalence. Access indeed drives quality and MCC’s talented and dedicated clinical staff are among the best I’ve encountered in my two decades serving the healthcare safety net.
How are you preparing to care for Marin’s growing older adult population?
In June, MCC is opening a small clinic at Vivalon’s Healthy Aging Campus in downtown San Rafael. While this innovative collaboration with Vivalon will serve all ages, the focus on co-locating health services in a facility geared toward older adults is a novel concept and, if successful, could form the pattern for additional projects in the future serving Marin’s aging population. The effort is emblematic of MCC’s commitment to meeting local community health needs by advancing the independence, health, and quality of life of Marin’s seniors. We are excited to partner with both Eden Housing and Vivalon, two organizations that are similarly community oriented and who are providing housing and social services, meals, workshops, and enrichment activities.
What is one of your hobbies?
When my three daughters, wife, and parents allow me the privilege of a little “me time,” I like to indulge my inner car fanatic by hanging out with other enthusiasts at Cars and Coffee events. These gatherings celebrate classic and unique vehicles over a morning cup and lots of conversation comparing notes about each other’s displays. While I appreciate the design, engineering, and beauty of each of the cars, my heart beats loudest for European exotics.