Wednesday, February 24, 2021
2:00 p.m. Pacific
The COVID-19 vaccine has brought hope for many that the end to the pandemic is in sight. But having a community where everyone has been vaccinated is not a foregone conclusion. Challenges of access, distribution, and misinformation have emerged, accentuating the inequities for people served by community health centers – the very communities who have been hit hardest by the disease.
Our speakers led a candid conversation about how community health centers in Los Angeles are the key to a successful vaccine administration effort, not just for our patients but for the public. They also discussed vaccine hesitation, especially pervasive among communities of color, and what must be done to build their trust.
Watch this important dialogue on these critical issues and learn more about what the future holds for this massive initiative.
President and CEO
Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County
Louise McCarthy is the President and CEO of the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC), where she represents the interests of LA area Community Clinics and Health Centers, and those they serve. Prior to taking this role, Ms. McCarthy served as CCALAC’s Vice President of Governmental Affairs. Before joining CCALAC, Ms. McCarthy was the Assistant Director of Policy for the California Primary Care Association, where she worked on statewide legislative, regulatory and administrative issues impacting California’s community clinics and health centers. She has also worked for the California Bureau of State Audits, conducting performance evaluations of state agencies, and for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, analyzing policies affecting the business community. Ms. McCarthy is a board member and the immediate past board chair of California Primary Care Association (CPCA). She holds a Masters in Public Policy and is a Senior Fellow at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Anita Zamora, RN, MSN, CNS
Deputy Director and Chief Operations Officer
Venice Family Clinic
Anita Zamora has provided leadership for Venice Family Clinic’s general and clinical operations since January 2013. She has expertise in quality improvement, program management and patient-centered health care.
Ms. Zamora started her career as an AmeriCorps member and has since worked in leadership roles at community health centers in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ms. Zamora has a master’s degree in community health nursing from UC San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science from UC San Diego. She is also a graduate of Blue Shield of California Foundation’s Clinic Leadership Institute and is fluent in Spanish.
David M. Carlisle, MD, PhD
President and Chief Executive Officer
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Dr. David M. Carlisle has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in the Watts-Willowbrook area of Los Angeles County since 2011.
Dr. Carlisle is a published author in health policy, quality of care, medical education diversity and eliminating health disparities. A board-certified Internal Medicine specialist, President Carlisle received his BA from Wesleyan University, his MD from Brown University and his MPH and PhD in Health Services from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
President Carlisle served as Director of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development for eleven years (2000-2011) under three governors. Under his leadership, OSHPD released its first-ever health disparities report and increased scholarship and loan repayment opportunities for health providers committed to practice in underrepresented, under-resourced and underserved communities.
Anna Maria Barry-Jester
Public Health Correspondent
Kaiser Health News
Anna Maria Barry-Jester is a senior correspondent for KHN and California Healthline focusing on public health and health disparities. She was previously a reporter with FiveThirtyEight, Univision and ABC News, and a freelance photographer and videographer. Along with colleagues from the AP and KHN, she was awarded the 2020 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Gold award for an investigation into how decades of defunding public health has exacerbated the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. She was also part of a team that won the 2017 Communications Award from National Academies of Sciences for reporting on firearm deaths. An investigation into an international epidemic of chronic kidney disease with the Center for Public Integrity won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Sidney Hillman Foundation and the Society for Environmental Journalists. She has a MPH in epidemiology.
This event is free to attend. If you’d like to support the work of Venice Family Clinic please click below. Thank you!