While 2022 started with a new set of challenges involving the COVID-19 Omicron surge, I am thankful to report that Marin Community Clinics is adept at responding to adversity. I have spoken about how proud I am of this team’s continued resilience, and that holds true today. Despite the challenges, we are pushing forward in our work toward our strategic goals, while our priority remains doing everything possible to keep our community and staff safe and healthy.
For the majority of the positive COVID-19 cases we are seeing, I am thankful that symptoms experienced have been mild – a testament to our high vaccination and booster rates. We continue to operate with an abundance of caution: our staff are vaccinated and boosted, and conduct regular rapid testing. We are partnering with Marin County to distribute free KN95 masks and rapid tests to patients and the community as we receive supplies from the federal government. We have distributed more than 100,000 rapid test kits so far!
Like others in the field, we are navigating staffing obstacles. As with any challenge comes opportunity. I am very pleased to announce some key staff updates that will enable us to continue on our growth trajectory:
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- Melanie Thompson, DO, has been appointed Chief Medical Officer. Learn more here.
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- Jose Chibras, MD, is now the Medical Director of Strategic Projects, a new role supporting the Chief Medical Officer on key projects and initiatives. Dr. Chibras will work closely with Dr. Thompson and other staff to ensure the quality, safety, efficiency, and high levels of patient and provider satisfaction in our clinics. Dr. Chibras’ priorities include assisting in integrating additional specialty services to our portfolio of services.
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- Diane Khaoone is now the Regional Clinic Director for North and South Novato Clinics, the Larkspur Clinic, and the Greenbrae Clinic. Diane started her journey with the Clinics as a medical assistant over 15 years ago.
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- Jonathan Barron is the Clinic Manager at our San Rafael Campus Clinic. Jonathan started at the Clinics in 2016 as a medical assistant looking to fulfill a goal of helping families experiencing some of the same struggles his own family experienced when looking for healthcare – from language barriers to navigating expenses. He has helped connect our patients to resources and continues to focus on ways to improve the patient experience.
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- Saida Perdomo is the Clinic Manager at North and South Novato Clinics. Saida is a natural leader and her story embodies our values. Having immigrated to the states at a young age, Saida relates to many of our patients on a deep level: she and her parents were once patients at Marin Community Clinics. More than a decade ago, she started here as an intern, and has been here growing her career from within ever since – inspiring us all in the process.
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- Elba Hernandez is the Clinic Manager at the Greenbrae and Larkspur Clinics. Elba joined the Clinics in late 2015, coming from a private office, and looking to grow as a medical assistant within our nonprofit setting. She has continued to grow personally and professionally and has a passion for helping others.
Each of those named have a proven track record of leadership ability at Marin Community Clinics. I am confident in their expertise and congratulate them all on their new roles.
- Elba Hernandez is the Clinic Manager at the Greenbrae and Larkspur Clinics. Elba joined the Clinics in late 2015, coming from a private office, and looking to grow as a medical assistant within our nonprofit setting. She has continued to grow personally and professionally and has a passion for helping others.
Lastly, I want to mention that this year marks our 50th anniversary! That’s 50 years of touching lives through health. We have so much to celebrate, including our staff, volunteers, and you – our supporters. It feels good to think about how far we’ve come, our legacy, and what we have planned for the future.
I thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Mitesh Popat, MD, MPH
Chief Executive Officer
