Community Health Alliance of Pasadena Chief Executive Officer Set to Begin Durfee Foundation Sabbatical Award

Today, Community Health Alliance of Pasadena (ChapCare’s) Chief Executive Officer, Margaret “Margie” Martinez, will begin her prestigious Durfee Foundation Sabbatical Award. In an effort to replenish the stores of energy and inspiration for our community’s most gifted leaders, the biannual Durfee Foundation Sabbatical Program offers up to six non-profit chief executives stipends and expenses to travel, reflect or otherwise renew themselves in whatever manner they propose. The Sabbatical Program recognizes that effective institutions are driven by creative people who need time off to reflect if they are to keep their organizations ahead of the curve. In addition, the Foundation is providing the opportunity for succession planning and preparation of internal staff for expanded roles in the organization that are not always available to non-profit organizations. During Margie’s sabbatical, which begins on January 3, 2017 and fully concludes on April 17, 2017, ChapCare will be led by a team of experienced senior level staff:

• Mr. Sergio Bautista, Chief Deputy Director, will take over as Acting Chief Executive Officer
• Dr. Iris Paiso will continue as Interim Chief Medical Officer/Chief Care Officer
• Dr. David Wortham will continue in a consulting role as Medical Professional Director
• Mr. Francisco Benavides, Accounting Manager, will be Interim Chief Financial Officer
• Ms. Deyner Zapata, Managed Care/Contracts Director, will be Interim Chief Administrative Officer.

For more than 35 years, Margaret “Margie” Martinez has served as an advocate for low-income residents of Southern California. After receiving her undergraduate degree from Occidental College and a Masters in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley, Margie has led a variety of community-based organizations that promoted health care access and workforce development. In 1994, she was named Executive Director of Clinica Romero, a health center serving the immigrant community in downtown Los Angeles. In 1999, Margie was selected to lead ChapCare. During her seventeen year tenure, she has overseen ChapCare’s transition from a hospital-affiliated clinic to an independent nonprofit health center; she guided ChapCare’s application and designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC); and she directed the implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHR). She is currently developing strategies to expand ChapCare’s service delivery reach and capacity through ChapCare’s unique municipal partnership model.

“I am deeply moved that the Durfee Foundation selected me for this prestigious award,” said Margie Martinez, ChapCare’s CEO, “This will give me a short time to re-charge before continuing my work at ChapCare. I am confident that during my time away our Senior Staff will continue the important work of expanding primary and specialty care access for the residents of the San Gabriel Valley.”

About ChapCare

Community Health Alliance of Pasadena (ChapCare) was founded in 1995 by a group of community residents, city officials, and health care agencies to establish primary healthcare services for low-income, uninsured residents in Pasadena. ChapCare began providing medical services in 1998 and dental services in 2001. Today, ChapCare is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides healthcare services to countless residents of the San Gabriel Valley. ChapCare operates 4 health centers in Pasadena, 1 health center in Monrovia, and 3 health centers in El Monte/South El Monte. ChapCare provides over 64,000 primary healthcare visits annually to over 15,000 patients.

For more information on ChapCare, please call (626) 398-6300 or visit www.chapcare.org.