Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center

Alejandro (Alex) Lopez, a Clinical Team Supervisor at our Hillsboro Clinic, was initially impressed by the cultural sensitivity of Virginia Garcia’s healthcare as an 8-year-old patient at that same clinic location. He and his family members felt both “heard and seen” by the healthcare team—and it piqued his interest in a future career in medicine. This interest was further strengthened when, at 13, Alex learned how to give his grandmother, Guadalupe Escutia, insulin injections for her Type 2 diabetes. Dr. Lyn Jacobs, was one of the healthcare providers for Guadalupe and the family credits her with giving them many more years together before her passing in 2017. When Alex was in school to become a Medical Assistant (MA), Virginia Garcia was his first choice for the externship requirement. He then chose to work there upon graduation. Shortly thereafter, the pandemic hit and helping with Covid testing and vaccinations made Alex realize that he excelled at pivoting on a moment’s notice. He was inspired to move into his current supervisory role. Alex particularly enjoys hosting the next generation of MA’s from our partnering high school programs. He is also currently embarking on the journey to become a Registered Nurse. He values “being able to break down barriers and providing the best support and care possible” for Virginia Garcia patients. In his spare time, Alex enjoys spending time with his loved ones, especially his 3-year-old daughter, Alessandra. Virginia Garcia is proud to play a role in the personal and professional journeys of patients and staff like Alejandro.

We're #hiring a new Clinical Team Supervisor in Hillsboro, Oregon. Apply today or share this post with your network.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Voter Education Nights! We want to give a special shoutout to Steve Callaway and the Washington County Elections Division for leading an incredible session and Keri H. and Yamhill County for guiding another great night. Both sessions made a meaningful impact on our community, helping everyone feel better prepared for the upcoming election and ensuring that every voice will be heard in this important year. #Vote2024

We're #hiring a new Credentialing Manager in Hillsboro, Oregon. Apply today or share this post with your network.

Join us as we kick off Hispanic Heritage Month 2024 with this year’s powerful theme: "Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together." This month, we celebrate the incredible contributions of the Hispanic and Latino community, from groundbreaking leaders in healthcare, science, and civil rights to cultural icons and everyday pioneers shaping a brighter future. Stay tuned for stories, videos, and ways to get involved. Let’s celebrate, learn, and shape the future together. --------------------- Celebramos el comienzo del Mes de la Herencia Hispana 2024 con el poderoso tema "Pioneros del cambio: Juntos formamos el futuro" Este mes, celebramos las increíbles contribuciones de la comunidad hispana y latina, desde líderes revolucionarios de la salud medica, la ciencia y los derechos civiles hasta iconos culturales y luchadores cotidianos que contribuyen a un futuro mejor. Manténgase atento a las historias, vídeos y formas de participar. Celebremos, aprendamos y demos forma al futuro juntos.

Jared Reynoso Sandoval joined Virginia Garcia as an intern with the Mobile Operations Program in 2022, while completing his hours to become a Certified Medical Assistant. He was then hired as a full-time CMA for our Covid Response Team in January of 2023. A year ago, Jared moved into the role of Office Health Assistant for our School-Based Health Centers, where his duties range from working with providers and drawing labs to administering vaccines to registered students ranging in age from 2 to 21. Jared’s not done learning and growing at Virginia Garcia though! He is currently deciding between becoming either an RN (Registered Nurse) or a PA (Physician Associate, formerly Assistant.) Born in Portland but raised in a small city in Mexico called Villa de Alvarez, Colima, Jared returned to Portland in search of educational opportunities when he was 18. A self-described empathic person who has always wanted to help others, Virginia Garcia’s mission to provide healthcare for those facing barriers very much resonates with Jared’s personal values. He especially enjoys the amazing relationships that he has established with both his patients and his coworkers. In his free time, enjoys both playing and coaching soccer as well as spending time with his loved ones. He is also deeply appreciative of his family’s support saying, “I owe everything to my parents and especially my mother. I truly believe my parents helped me become the person I am today.”

Daisy Sanchez, one of our Farmworker Outreach Program (FOP) volunteers, is a 4th-year student at the University of Oregon majoring in Human Physiology and Spanish and minoring in Global Health and Chemistry. As if all of that is not enough, Daisy plans to get some work experience, possibly obtain her certification as a Medical Assistant (CMA), and then ultimately become a Physician's Associate (PA.) Volunteering at FOP was a natural fit for Daisy, who grew up helping her father, a farmworker, out in the fields. Originally from Michoacan, Mexico, many of her family members came to Cornelius in the 80's. Daisy once coincidentally met an Uncle while volunteering at a farm several years ago, showing just how extensive her Cornelius family is! Daisy's Mom has also been a Virginia Garcia patient and always taught Daisy that Virginia Garcia is more than just a healthcare clinic....it is a community hub. Daisy experienced this sense of community herself while volunteering at FOP. She especially enjoyed "helping out, educating patients, and connecting with people from all backgrounds." Virginia Garcia is so appreciative of Daisy and all of the volunteers who join us in serving our community. Our 2024 Farmworker Outreach Program is coming to a close this week, but our Mobile Outreach Program will continue to visit underserved areas throughout the year.

Volunteer Kaspar Czuk studied the Spanish language throughout his middle, high school, and college years and couldn't wait to put those bilingual skills to use this summer with fellow Spanish speakers at Virginia Garcia's Farmworker Outreach Program (FOP.) When asked about his experience while volunteering at FOP, he noted that "everyone is super nice and helping out in an equal manner." Kaspar especially enjoyed the FOP events where he had the chance to connect with kids of all ages by supervising some of the children's activities. In turn, they entertained (and educated) him. He loved that the kids were "sweet and goofy" and taught him all about the newest TikTok trends. When not volunteering, Kaspar enjoys playing the guitar and banjo as well as singing. This summer, he was excited to discover a fun rope swing by the Willamette River. Soon, he will return to St. Olaf College in Minnesota to continue his work towards a degree in Music for Social Impact and Pre-Health. Kaspar is considering a future dental career.  We thank Kaspar and all of our volunteers for helping us so much this Summer!

Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center values growth, innovation, and change. At Virginia Garcia, we are committed to continuous improvement. In January 2023, a Process Improvement Effort (PIE) Kaizen launched. A Kaizen aims to make small, incremental improvements in processes that will lead to significant long-term benefits including increased efficiency, and higher quality. The goal was to improve the onboarding process for providers and other staff. We want to acknowledge and thank all Virginia Garcia staff, and departments who dedicated their time and effort towards this major continuous improvement effort. Thank you to the facilitators for your expertise in guiding us through this effort Director of Quality, Sarah Deines, PharmD, BCACP, CPHQ Senior Organizational Effectiveness & Talent Manager Amber Bruner, PHR, SHRM-CP Director of Operations, Angie Hurley former Process Improvement Program Manager, Jessica Anderson for the work in facilitation and supporting teams in this great work. Primary Care Clinic Manager Laura Ffitch participated in an interview regarding the PIE Kaizen. Tell us about your experience in the PIE Kaizen. “I had a great experience participating in the PIE Kaizen. I was surprised to learn how a shared workflow impacted each department. Many of us were running into the same problem, and working together helped resolve this.” Tell us about the improvements you experienced. “Teams had great ideas, and being able to test the suggestions before we went live allowed us to continuously improve the workflow. The process for onboarding new staff has greatly improved for our supervisors and new team members. We want to make sure our new employees are having the best experience when joining.” Some of these ideas included: • A way to communicate new staff members schedule for the first two weeks. • Training communication that could be tracked with our clinical training team, and epic trainers. • Easy drop-down menus to select from vs. manually typing in answers. Laura ffitch said it best “Great ideas come from the people who do the work every day, we just have to give them the platform and that is what PIE Kaizen did.” Thank you again to Virginia Garcia staff for their dedication to continuous improvement. Image: The Director of Facilities, Jarrod Sherwood (left) and Dental Director, Dr. Lisa Bozzetti Bozzetti (right) stand together reviewing a process atlas. The atlas showcases process maps from multiple departments.

This is Lauren Yeiser's first time volunteering with Virginia Garcia's Farmworker Outreach Program (FOP), and they are already planning to return next summer! Previously working in the tech sector, Lauren is in the midst of a career change and felt that volunteering with our FOP might help in discerning if healthcare should be their next step. Lauren was drawn to Virginia Garcia because of their desire to provide hands-on/real-life help to underserved communities. Lauren had a special interest in learning more about where the food on our table comes from...and the people who do the hard work of harvesting that food. An added bonus was the chance to utilize their Spanish bilingual skills while connecting with patients at the FOP events. Leaning towards becoming an NP (Nurse Practitioner), Lauren is currently working on completing their prerequisite coursework. Just as a farmer plants a seed that grows into the foods we eat, we hope that volunteering with Virginia Garcia this summer has served as the "seed" that helps Lauren grow into a future healthcare professional!