Empowering Change: Advancing Culturally Competent Health Initiatives in Hispanic and Latino Communities

Dr. Lourdes Guerrero is AssociateDirector of the SOL-INCA (Study of Latinos – Investigation of NeurocognitiveAging) Lab at the University of California, San Diego. She was the former MultiplePrincipal Investigator for the Resource Center for Minority Aging Research(RCMAR) Coordinating Center at UCLA, and is currently serves as co-Investigatorof the San Diego Alzheimer’s disease Resource Center for Minority Aging (SanDiego -AD RCMAR).

Dr. Guerrero is a multidisciplinary,bilingual and bicultural researcher with training and experience working inmedical education, higher education policy, and community-based socialservices. She was the Associate Director of the Geriatric Workforce EnhancementProgram at UCLA, and served on the evaluation teams of the Clinical andTranslational Science Institute, and the NIH Diversity Program ConsortiumCoordination and Evaluation Center at UCLA.

Prior to working in academia, Dr.Guerrero was the Director of Special Projects for UC College Prep Online, andthe Programs and Communication Director for Excelenciain Education in Washington, DC. She has served on the board of directors ofvarious non-profit organizations including Ready, Set, Read! and MEND (MeetEach Need with Dignity. She is currently the Vice President of Operations forthe Berkeley Chicanx Latinx Alumni Association, and serves as an ExternalAdvisory Board member of Drexel University’s NIH FIRST award.

Dr. Guerrero obtained her Doctorof Education degree from UCLA and Master of Social Work degree from theCatholic University of America in Washington, DC. She also has a Master ofPastoral Ministry degree from the Franciscan School of Theology and a BA inChicano Studies from UC Berkeley. She is the principal of The Gigas Group, LLC,a consulting company focused on conducting culturally relevant evaluations andresearch. The Gigas Group, LLC client list includes the Latina ResearchersNetwork, the Alzheimer’s Association of Los Angeles, the Ventura County AreaAgency on Aging and Cornell University.

Her ORCID publication list ishere:

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4208-4786

Keri Lipperini is the Director in the Office of Nutrition and Health Promotion Programs, within the Administration for Community Living’s, Administration on Aging.  For over 25 years, she has worked in health and wellness, 20 of those years she has been working specifically with the aging and disabilities populations. Prior to her work at AoA, Ms. Lipperini served as Program Manager for Calvert County Maryland where she oversaw Calvert’s health promotion and nutrition programs. Keri is a former United States Navy Hospital Corpsman. She holds Masters in Public Administration (MPA) with Health Care focus from Troy State University and Bachelors of Science degree in Health Care Administration from Southern Illinois University.

Lesha Spencer-Brown is an Aging Services Program Specialist in the Office of Nutrition and Health Promotion Programs, within the Administration for Community Living's, Administration on Aging. Driven by her passion for public health, she has spent the past decade working with nonprofit and local government entities to establish and enhance health promotion strategies among vulnerable populations and under-resourced communities. Prior to her work at ACL, Lesha served as a Health and Wellness Senior Program Manager for the National Recreation and Park Association where the managed the Healthy Aging in Parks Initiative. She earned a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Socio-Health Sciences and Community and Family Health from the University of South Florida, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Clark Atlanta University.

Christine Suzette Pérez Jiménez was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She earned her bachelor’s in Science (BS) degree in Industrial Microbiology and a Curricular Sequence in the Food Science and Technology Program from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus. In June 2016, she received a Master’s in Science (MS) degree with a concentration in Environmental Health from the School of Public Health of the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Science Campus. During graduate school, she participated in public health research such as environmental factors associated with health problems among older adults in Puerto Rico, worked in health database management, did literature research related to health issues, and participated in voluntary service at the environmental program of Veterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Ms. Pérez participated as a Health Equity Fellow in the 2016 summer Youth Health Equity Model of Practice (YHEMOP) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health (OMH), in Rockville, MD. During the fellowship, Ms. Pérez placement site was at The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA), headquartered in Washington, DC, and helped develop a literature review on the status of Hispanic older adults’ report that highlighted the health inequities among Hispanic older adults in the United States.  Currently, Ms. Pérez is the Director of Programs at the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA), a national organization that works to improve the lives of Hispanic older adults, their families, and caregivers. Ms. Pérez has over 7 years of experience as a program specialist and effectively implementing and managing social and public health programs that are used to boost fundraising, increase partner membership, enlist support from government agencies and corporations, and benefit older adults, their families, and caregivers.

Ms. Pérez is passionate about working to reduce health disparities among the Hispanic community, particularly in older adults, and for this population to age in the best possible health and dignity. Ms. Perez continues to be involved in community outreach with the Hispanic community. 

Yessenia Cervantes-Vzquez is a bilingual Lead Community Health Worker (LCHW) in the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention team (known as Rush Generations) within the Social Work and Community Health Department at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. In this role, Yessenia provides direct patient and community member chronic disease self-management health education and social support resource connection. Yessenia also collaborates with various community partners to implement evidence-based programs (EBP) in their community and to train and support new facilitators. Yessenia is 1 of 3 Master Trainers of SMRC evidence-based programs in Chicago. She is also a member of the Rush Immigrant Health Working Group and a CHW trainer with the Center for Health and Social Care Integration (CHASCI) at Rush. Most recently, Yessenia has become a trainer for the Mental Health First Aid adult program from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

Yessenia began her career as a CHW with Alivio Medical Center in Chicago thanks to her years of work as a Parent Volunteer in the Chicago Public Schools. Yessenia obtained her AA from Harold Washington College in Chicago in 2012, before being granted DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). She completed the Community Health Worker Certificate Program at Malcolm X College in Chicago in 2022, and she was one of the collaborators for the Spanish Vaccine Ambassador Course developed in 2021 currently offered at Malcolm X Community College. 

Sonia received her Masters in Nursing from UCLA School of Nursing in 2008,  her Masters in Public Health from UCLA in 2003, and her Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology from UCLA in 1999. Sonia has over 20 years of experience working in the health care field. A native of the Central Valley, born and raised in Lindsay and Porterville, Sonia returned from Southern California in 2008 and worked at the bedside as an ICU nurse at Sierra View District Hospital. Working with the diabetic population led Sonia to follow her passion and work as a dialysis nurse transitioning from bedside nurse, to clinical coordinator and eventually into management. The prospect of positively impacting health outcomes for patients challenged by multiple chronic conditions and access to care specifically, those individuals challenged by multiple Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), led to her taking on her current role of Director of Population Health. 

Sonia oversees the CalAim programs and teams supporting the engagement and enrollment of patients with multiple chronic conditions into Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Support. These teams focus on assessing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and connecting patients to community resources, reducing acute care utilization, and improving patients’ health outcomes and quality of life. As a first-generation Mexican American, the first in her family to graduate from high school and attend college, Sonia is passionate about serving the farmworker community and works closely with the Community Outreach Department at Kaweah Health to plan cuadrilla events outreaching to farmworkers to provide education and conduct health screenings. 

Sonia’s interests include traveling and engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking and biking with her husband Elmer and two daughters Isabel and Emma.

Alma Torres-Nguyen, MPH serves as Community Outreach Manager for Kaweah Health.  Prior to joining Kaweah, Alma worked for the Fresno and Tulare County’s Departments of Public Health managing a number of health promotion programs.  With over 25 years of experience, Alma understands the needs of our diverse Tulare County population and that Community Health Workers are key in effectively reaching and serving our diverse population, especially in rural areas.  At Kaweah Health Alma and her team of 8 Community Health Workers provide a number of health programs focusing on topics such as nutrition, diabetes, falls prevention, disease prevention, mental health, Medi-Cal Assistance, and Physical Activity opportunities.  Born in Mexico, Ms. Torres-Nguyen immigrated with her parents to California’s Central Valley at the age of nine. She attended Mt. Whitney High School, University of California Davis, and California State University, Fresno. Alma is married to John Nguyen and has one son. Alma enjoys hiking and serving her community by participating on a number of local Community Based Organization boards.   

I work for Kaweah Health’s Community Outreach Department as a Community Health Worker II. Previously, I counseled male in-house residents at a rescue mission.  The curriculum I used is called Genesis process, it provides a biblical and neurochemical understanding of what causes our self-destruction and a real plan for lasting change.

For the past six years, my focus has been facilitating chronic disease management and falls prevention workshops for both our seniors and those who are chronically ill. This allows me to do what I am most passionate about, serving others in a way that allows them to live a more fulfilling and better quality of life. Outside of work, I volunteer at a men’s homeless shelter, collect antique cast iron piggy banks, and enjoy spending time with my wife and our grandchildren.  

Lucia Ramirez, graduated with a double major in Psychology and Spanish from California State University of Bakersfield. She then joined the Cesar Chavez Foundation as the Education program Coordinator. She later joined Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals of Bakersfield in July of 2016 to assume the Coordinator Position of the Healthy Living Self-Management Programs. Since taking leadership, the programs have been provided to participants of cultural and diverse backgrounds throughout Kern County. One of her goals was to offer self-help skills and encourage self-care to farmworkers and older adults. Therefore, in 2020, she implemented the Arthritis Foundation Exercise program and in 2022, she established partnership with two Senior Centers to put into effect the Enhance Fitness Program. 

Valerie V. Quintana, MA, PTP is the Director of Community & Clinical Linkages at Community Health, with Presbyterian Healthcare Services (PHS).  Her skills are proficient in the psychology of human interaction and human communication. They have been instrumental in the implementation of Change Theory within healthcare systems by strengthening and developing relationships, facilitating collaborations, ensuring clear communication, and building consensus. Valerie orchestrates linkages between Presbyterian, FQHCs, Community Health Workers, Peer Support Specialists, and community wellness programs to create a shared operations model that improves access to healthcare, behavioral healthcare, nutritious food and safer physical activity opportunities for Hispanic, Latin, and Native American residents of New Mexico. She is leading a team that is building out the Community Health Worker and Peer Support Specialist models, as Presbyterian strengthens how it addresses health related social needs and behavioral health in our communities. Valerie enjoys building collaborative relationship within healthcare systems, including providers and medical staff.  Through those relationships, and by building a shared understanding, she crafts human habits and behaviors that lead to highly desired, yet unconventional means of connecting patients to resources that can enhance medical treatments for those with chronic disease, on a statewide level. She has built her career helping organizations change their systems, thinking and operations in order to best suit the people and communities they serve.

Valerie was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and has a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree of Arts in Communication Studies from New Mexico State University. She has fifteen years of experience in the field of behavioral health, and created her own business providing on-site wholistic care for social workers. Valerie is an award-winning Rosary Artist who is also Internationally Certified as a Polarity Therapy Professional. She also holds certifications in Herbalism, Essential Oils, Touch Therapy, Health Facilitation, and Cranial Sacral Therapy.  

Katherine Martinez is a licensed social worker with a profound dedication to the field of aging. With a career marked by impactful contributions, she has held key roles at NYC Health & Hospitals, various community-based organizations, nursing homes, and long-term care programs. In 2018, Katherine assumed the role of President/CEO at Neighborhood SHOPP, a community-based non-profit in the Bronx. In this capacity, she leads diverse initiatives aimed at serving older adults, caregivers, and individuals with disabilities. 

Katherine's academic background includes a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from New York University. Actively involved in the aging network, she holds influential positions such as serving on the NYC Department for the Aging Senior Advisory Council, Co-Chair at Hunts Point/Longwood Coalition, Bronx Regional Inter-Agency Aging Council, NY State Society on Aging, among others. Her commitment to the aging network extends nationally, as evidenced by her involvement in the NASW Aging Specialty Practice Committee and the NCOA National Institute of Senior Center's Leadership Collaborative. Katherine Martinez exemplifies a steadfast commitment to enhancing the well-being of older adults and their communities through her extensive professional and volunteer engagements. 

Brenda Altamirano is a Community Navigator at Chicanos Por La Causa Keogh Health Connection since 2015; she has been in the social service field for 13 years. Her goal and inspiration is to help her community as much as she can by connecting individuals and resources as much as possible so people have a pathway to keep moving forward. Brenda is a mother of four children, a Community Health Worker, a medical interpreter, and an Outreach Specialist.

Karla Caraveo is a Community Resource Navigator with Chicanos Por la Causa. She has been working in this field for three years. She has always been passionate about helping those in need. She enjoys working with the community and guiding people to become self-sufficient. Karla is a mother, and her hobby is to read .

Paul M. Baker is the Managing Director for Programs at the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance), where he oversees national, multi-site, and multi-year disease prevention and health promotion programs in partnership with community-based organizations (CBOs) and providers. These programs deliver critical outreach and education opportunities that improve health and access to care in underserved Hispanic communities.  

During his tenure at the Alliance, Mr. Baker has served as the project director for a variety of CDC-funded initiatives in partnership with Hispanic-serving CBOs, including the Let’s Prevent Diabetes Program, the Proyecto Informar Capacity Development Program, the MobilizingCommunities to Reduce Diabetes and the Juntos Contra la Diabetes Programs; and, the National Hispanic Colorectal Cancer Outreach and Education Program.  

Before joining the Alliance, Mr. Baker worked at the American Medical Women’s Association on tobacco control and prevention, at John Snow, Inc. on USAID-funded family planning and micronutrient access initiatives, and as a volunteer ESL Instructor in Ecuador through WorldTeach, an NGO based at Harvard University’s Center for International Development. 

Mr.Baker received his bachelor’s degree from James Madison University. 

Linda Castagnola earned her bachelor’s degree in Global Affairs and then her M.P.H. in Community Health at George Mason University at Fairfax, VA. She has worked at several organizations managing training and implementation of the CDSMP programs in Latin America, the Caribbean and Florida. She is originally from Ecuador and lives in Miami, FL, with her husband and 2 daughters.

Virginia González earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology at UCLA and her M.P.H. in Health Education at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a partner in the Self-Management Resource Center. Prior to this she worked as a research assistant at the Stanford Patient Education Research Center. She is a co-developer of the Chronic Disease Self-Management and Tomando Control de su Salud programs, as well as the Diabetes Self-Management Program, and other self-management programs for chronic pain, HIV, cancer, and caregivers. She is also a co-author of the books: Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions; Tomando control de su salud; and Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Pain. Virginia was instrumental in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Spanish self-management programs in arthritis, chronic disease, and diabetes. 

Margaret Kaniewski is a program manager with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Division of Population Health, Healthy Aging Branch, currently with the Alzheimer’s Program. She has been with CDC for over 25 years. She earned her Master's in Public Health from the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. She served as a program manager for various programs while at CDC, including the Prevention Research Centers Program, Falls Prevention Program, Physical Activity and Nutrition Program, and the Arthritis Management and Well-Being Program. Ms. Kaniewski has experience with the dissemination and implementation of community-based programs, clinical and community linkages initiatives, and program evaluation support. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with family and friends, creating art, gardening, and tending to her orchard. 

Eric Ishiwata is the Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in Office of Engagement and Extension and Assistant Professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at Colorado State University. He specializes in building programs that connect underserved populations to state and higher education resources.

Kate served as the Director of the Stanford Patient Education Research Center and Professor of Medicine in the Stanford School of Medicine. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Boston University, and her masters and doctorate of public health in health education at the University of California, Berkeley. She came to Stanford in 1979 while a graduate student at Cal to develop and research an educational program that emphasized self-help skills for people with arthritis. This program became the Arthritis Self-Help Course and was the prototype for the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, The Diabetes Self-Management Program, the Positive Self-Management Program for HIV, the Cancer: Thriving and Surviving Program, the Building Better Caregiver's Program, the Chronic Pain Self-Management Program, and others. She has authored several books and many articles about arthritis, chronic disease in general, health education and behavioral science. She travels extensively at the invitation of organizations concerned with patient care and academic research. She lives in Mountain View, CA, with her 2 cats and a collection of Native American art.

Shannon Patrick received a master’s in public health from the University of Michigan in Health Behavior and Health Education and has four years of experience managing Community Health Worker programs in Hispanic communities. She was a Program Director with MHP Salud’s Strengthening Aging Services for Older Hispanic Adults program, a minority Technical Assistance Resource Center (TARC), funded by the Administration for Community Living from 2020-2023. Shannon is currently working with MHP Salud as a Health Strategy Specialist, providing training and technical assistance to community health centers across the country on the role of Community Health Workers in reaching special and vulnerable populations, specifically migratory and seasonal agricultural workers. Shannon has experience teaching, conducting research, and presenting her work at various local, state, and national level conferences.

Jaime Peña CHC, LMPNLP has worked in the field of aging for over 7 years. Jaime is the Health Promotion Programs Coordinator at AgeOptions (The suburban Cook County AAA in Illinios). Jaime has experience in outreaching, promoting, recruiting and coordinating all the evidence-based health promotion and falls prevention programming. Jaime is bilingual in Spanish and has a lot of experience working with the Latinx Community and has built strong relationships with many organizations and continues to expand AgeOptions’ Spanish-language suite of evidence-based health and falls prevention programs. 

Romala has worked in the non-profit sector for almost 20 years.  Prior to working with Dignity Health, Mercy & Memorial Hospitals, she was the Director of Family and Community Services at one of the largest nonprofits in Kern County where she managed programs such as the Energy program, 211 Information and Referral, Youth centers, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, and Migrant Child Care Assistance Program.  She was also part of the senior leadership team at this organization.  At Dignity Health she is responsible for programs that focus on health education and preventative screenings for at-risk populations and providing in-home, non-medical assistance for seniors and disabled adults.  She has a degree in Economics and a Master’s in Business Administration. 

Veronica Rivas is Community Resource Navigator Program Manager at Chicanos Por La Causa Keogh Health Connection. Veronica has over 10 years of experience working in the non-profit sector working with the uninsured and underserved population. She has extensive knowledge of community resources, Medicaid and the Health Insurance Market Place. Veronica has also assisted in implementing programs that provide wrap-around services to families and individuals who are at risk of homelessness. Veronica is also a certified Community Health Worker.

Cristina Estrella, CHES is a Program Specialist for the Center for Healthy Aging at the National Council on Aging. In this role, Cristina provides technical assistance to U.S. Administration for Community Living grantees implementing evidence-based falls prevention and chronic disease self-management education programs. Additionally, she assists in developing resources for professionals and older adults and coordination of the annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium.

Cristina began her career on the COVID-19 Containment and Mitigation team at the Alexandria Health Department where she conducted contact tracing, case investigation, outbreak reporting, and community outreach, and assisted in vaccine uptake initiatives. She holds a B.S. in Health Sciences and an M.S. in Public Health Education and Promotion from Marymount University.

Kathleen Zuke was privileged to grow up with eight loving grandparents and developed a passion for supportive services for older adults as a caregiver for her grandfather. She has been a Senior Program Manager with the Center for Healthy Aging since 2015. In this role, she works collaboratively with community-based partners across the country to identify, implement, and sustain evidence-based programs that support older adults in staying well and aging in the community, including chronic disease self-management education, falls prevention, and behavioral health. She has a Master’s degree in Public Health from Hunter College and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Yoko Meusch, MA, is a Program Associate for the Center for Healthy Aging at National Council on Aging. Yoko provides technical assistance to U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) grant-funded community-based organizations promoting and implementing evidence-based Falls Prevention and Chronic Disease Self-Management education programs. In addition, she is a program administrator for Aging Mastery Program®, an NCOA’s signature program for aging well. 

Yoko holds a Bachelor's degree in Management Studies from the University of Maryland Global Campus and a Master's Degree in Health Communication from Johns Hopkins University. 
She is originally from Japan and is bilingual.