These three CHCs have developed innovative and effective partnerships with hospitals, health systems, community, and government organizations in the areas of primary and specialty care, including behavioral health. Among other outcomes, they have reduced hospital Emergency Department visits from CHC patients, and strengthened pediatric access, and streamlined inpatient scheduling. Their programs include partnerships in the areas in the social determinants of health (SDOH) areas of food security and distribution, patient transportation, and housing placement. The steady progress of CHCs in providing comprehensive care to needy populations is a model for ambulatory care delivery in California and nationally. Panelists will outline their work in these areas.
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Featured Speakers:
Remí de la Rocha, President and CEO, AltaMed Health Network
Dr. Frank Matricardi, Principal, Executive Healthcare Consulting
Dr. Mitesh Popat, CEO and Acting Medical Officer, Venice Family Clinic (VFC)
Ms. Audrey Simons, CEO, San Fernando Community Health Center (SFCHC)
Remí de la Rocha, President and CEO, AltaMed Health Network
Remí de la Rocha serves as President & CEO of AltaMed Health Network (AHN). In 2007, Remí joined AltaMed Health Service Corporation to establish its first IPA. Today, AltaMed’s IPA has approximately 100,000 lives across Los Angeles and Orange County and over 200 PCPs and 1,800 specialists. Over his tenure at AltaMed he led their Managed Care Program, helping grow their Managed Care lives from 40,000 lives in 2007 to 390,000 lives in 2024. In addition to his role as AHN’s President and CEO, Remí also oversees AltaMed’s management service organization, Altura Management Services Organization.
Remí de la Rocha holds an MBA and a B.S. in Business Administration, Management, both from California State University, Los Angeles
Panelist: Dr. Mitesh Popat, CEO and Acting Medical Officer, Venice Family Clinic (VFC)
Dr. Mitesh Popat became chief executive officer of Venice Family Clinic on December 12, 2022. He came to LA from Marin Community Clinics in Marin County, CA, where he was CEO for five years. Dr. Popat has been a practicing physician and senior leader at community health centers throughout his career. Before leading Marin Community Clinics as CEO, he served as its chief medical officer. Prior to his tenure at Marin Community Clinics, Dr. Popat served as associate medical director of La Clínica de la Raza in Vallejo, CA.
Dr. Popat holds a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, and a Bachelor of Arts in economics and Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine. He served in the Stanford-O’Connor Family Medicine Residency Program in San Jose, and completed a two-year Health Care Leadership fellowship with the California Health Care Foundation and University of California, San Francisco.
Panelist: Ms. Audrey Simons, CEO, San Fernando Community Health Center (SFCHC)
As CEO of the San Fernando Community Health Center (SFCHC) since 2013, Audrey Simons has spearheaded the organization’s transition from a community hospital to a state-of-the-art Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Under Simons’ leadership, the SFCHC has experienced unprecedented growth. Projects in 2023 included a Mobile Medical Service designed to serve unhoused persons at safe parking areas and shelters, and in 2024 the buildout of 1500 square feet of commercial space within the footprint of HOLOS Communities Corazón Del Valle project in Panorama City.
Simons is actively involved in several community/civic organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Valley Cares Community Consortium, The Valley Economic Alliance, and the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County. She holds a Master of Science degree in health administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in dental hygiene. She worked for nearly 30 years as a Registered Dental Hygienist in the San Fernando Valley.
Moderator: Frank Matricardi, DrPH, MPH, FHFMA, Principal, Executive Healthcare Consulting
Dr. Frank Matricardi advises C-Suite executives in medical groups, hospitals, and health plans on managed care strategy, and contract negotiations. He consults with providers of specialty services and new medical technologies like electronic health records to develop relationships with hospitals, health plans, and community health centers (CHCs). For more than thirty-nine years, Frank has worked in health services and managed care. As a senior health plan executive, he managed state/Federal government relations, developed and managed Medicare and Medicaid risk programs in multiple states, and solved disputes with providers. Frank has a Doctorate in Health Services Administration, and a Master of Public Health from UCLA Fielding School of Public Health (FSPH). He is a Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. He has chaired and serves on the boards of FSPH Health Policy and Management Alumni, HFMA-SoCal, and Venice Family Clinic. He serves on the Advisory Board and is a shareholder of LifeBook, a personal healthcare information technology start-up.