Vote For Your Health Panel Discussion and Resource Fair

Venice Family Clinic believes voting is important. We encourage everyone in our community to vote in the General Election on November 5, 2024. When more people vote, we help make health policies fairer for all of us. And that can help everyone’s health get better.

Join our experts for the Panel Discussion to understand your ballot and how voting can impact your health.

Enjoy the Resource Fair to learn more about voting and the services Venice Family Clinic offers. There will be music, art projects and refreshments. The whole family is welcome!

Monday, October 21, 2024
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.  Resource Fair
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.  Panel Discussion

Center of Hope
9550 Crenshaw Blvd.
Inglewood, CA 90305

Panelists

Meron Shita
Program Manager for Civic Engagement
Black Women for Wellness

Meron Shita, a semi-recent transplant to Los Angeles, is a seasoned community organizer with a Master’s in Public Health from Fresno State University and a Bachelor’s from the University of California Riverside.

With a strong background in community development, Meron has led neighborhood revitalization efforts, including planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of programs addressing food equity, green space access, and early childhood literacy. She has organized outreach, developed strategic plans, coordinated campaigns with various organizations, and established comprehensive outreach policies. Her roles have also involved managing volunteers and evaluating program effectiveness.

As the Civic Engagement Program Manager at Black Women for Wellness, Meron directs outreach initiatives to inform LA County residents about electoral processes, social and reproductive justice, and environmental justice, with the goal of driving impactful community change.

Dr. Cesar Barba
Associate Medical Director
Venice Family Clinic

Dr. Cesar Barba is a Board-Certified Family Medicine physician dedicated to health care equity. Growing up in Southern California as the son of Mexican immigrants who came to this country seeking medical care for their four children, Dr. Barba experienced firsthand the challenges of accessing care, which shaped his belief that health care is a fundamental right, not a privilege reserved for resourced communities. After graduating from the Charles R. Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program and completing his residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Dr. Barba took on leadership roles at community clinics, driven by a desire to improve patients’ experience. Now, as the Associate Medical Director at Venice Family Clinic, Dr. Barba remains passionately committed to ensuring that underserved communities have access to high-quality health care.

Moderator

Karen Lauterbach
Director of Community Programs and Advocacy
Venice Family Clinic

Karen Lauterbach is the Director of Community Programs and Advocacy at Venice Family Clinic. In her current position, she is jointly responsible for leading the clinic’s engagement with policymakers on public policy issues as well as directing the clinic’s ongoing effort to connect with the community and ensure that the clinic’s patients have access to health coverage. Karen currently serves on the State DHS Medi-Cal Children’s Health Advisory Panel and is on the board of the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County’s (CCALAC) and California Primary Care Association (CPCA). She participates in state wide and local coalitions that focus on improving access to health care.