http://www.emerald-planet.org/2015/12/20/ 

https://www.lamaestra.org/circle-of-care/default.html

Advanced Medical, Community Development, and Environmental Quality Services for Inner City At-Risk Citizens [12/20/2015]

Guests:

• Zara Marselian, MA, FACHE, Founder, President, and CEO, La Maestra Community Health Centers and La Maestra Foundation (San Diego, CA),
• Alexei Ochola, Member, Board of Directors and Corporate Secretary, La Maestra Community Health Centers and La Maestra Foundation,
• Javier Rodriguez, MD, Medical Director and Pediatrician and Sonia Tucker, Director of Quality Improvement, La Maestra Community Health Centers,
• Sonia Tucker, Director of Quality Improvement, La Maestra Community Health Centers.

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Segment 1 Zara Marselian, MA, FACHE, Founder, President, and CEO, La Maestra Community Health Centers and La Maestra Foundation (San Diego, CA), (In-Studio)	Segment 2Alexei Ochola, Member, Board of Directors and Corporate Secretary, La Maestra Community Health Centers and La Maestra Foundation,(In Studio)
Segment 3 Javier Rodriguez, MD, Medical Director and Pediatrician and Sonia Tucker, Director of Quality Improvement, La Maestra Community Health Centers,  (By Skype)*	Segment 4 Sonia Tucker, Director of Quality Improvement, La Maestra Community Health Centers, (By Skype)*

Program Summary:

The EmeraldPlanet weekly television programs are broadcast and distributed via Channel 10 TV in Fairfax, Virginia USA. The programs are being simulcast to 532 stations around the United States and then overseas by the Internet and C-SPAN television. The EmeraldPlanet programs are currently available in all countries and territories around the world. The Emerald Trek and companion The Emerald Mini-Treks are identifying the 1,000 “best practices” on location from the 143 nations, 750 cities, and 50,000 communities by Internet TV, local television stations, main stream media outlets, YouTube, Facebook, The EmeraldPlanet Meetup, Twitter, among other social media networks, and all manner of print media.

The EmeraldPlanet TV is broadcasting weekly a number of the “best practices which are identified through collaboration with: major non-governmental organizations (NGOs); United Nations, universities and colleges; research institutes; government ministries and agencies; Embassies; banking and micro-lending organizations; Chambers of Commerce; World Trade Centers, international bodies such as The World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Inter-American Development Bank, African Development Bank Group, Asian Development Bank, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), citizens groups; multimedia organizations; among others by utilizing the most advanced broadcasting hardware and software along with an outstanding television Production Crew to reach an ever expanding global audience. The Emerald Trek is focused upon linking principals identified among the 1,000 ‘best practices’ in the 143 nations being visited through this world-wide movement. The Emerald Trek is encompassing over 300,000 miles, visiting 750 major cities, and 50,000 suburban and rural communities in the identified nations.

Our featured guests are:

•  Segment ‘1’: Zara Marselian, MA, FACHE, Founder, President, and CEO, La Maestra Community Health Centers and La Maestra Foundation (San Diego, CA), (In Studio) and as “Special Guest” In-Studio Skype Back-Up)*;
•  Segment ‘2’: Zara Marselian, MA, FACHE, Founder, President, and CEO and Alexei Ochola, Secretary, Board of Directors and “Environmental Champion”, La Maestra Community Health Centers and La Maestra Foundation (San Diego, CA),  (In Studio);
•  Segment ‘3’: Zara Marselian, MA, FACHE, Founder, President, and CEO, La Maestra Community Health Centers and La Maestra Foundation (San Diego, CA),  (In Studio); and
•  Segment ‘4’: Javier Rodriguez, MD, Medical Director and Pediatrician and Sonia Tucker, Director of Quality Improvement, La Maestra Community Health Centers, (By Skype)*.

Program overview

La Maestra Community Health Centers was formed by Zara Marselian and other teachers from the La Maestra Amnesty Center. The Amnesty Center’s 12,000 students, participating in ESL, citizenship, and job training classes, voiced a critical need for a health home where families could feel safe, not worry about being denied services, and where providers spoke their languages, while understanding their cultural beliefs and past experiences. In 1990, “Zara” opened her living room next door to the Amnesty Center in City Heights, an inner-city community of San Diego, California, with one volunteer physician providing basic health care.

Now celebrating its 25th year, La Maestra Community Health Centers has grown into a “Federally Qualified Health Center” with twelve [12] locations in underserved areas throughout San Diego County, including school-based clinics and mobile clinics. Today, 500 employees and dozens of volunteers who are hired from the diverse communities served guide 45,000 patients per year to access healthcare and social services. Patients are low-income and include immigrants and refugees from countries all over the globe, as well as people who are homeless, recovering from difficult situations, or otherwise facing complex challenges in becoming healthy.

La Maestra is recognized nationwide for its innovative yet grassroots approaches to improving health and wellbeing among at-risk communities. Core values embedded throughout every aspect of La Maestra’s work include effective integration of services, cultural competency, empowerment via education, and environmental responsibility. La Maestra has also broadened and enhanced its “Circle of Care” approach by utilizing state-of-the-art telehealth tools, which bridge

the gaps preventing its populations from accessing care while reducing its impact on the environment.

In Segment ‘1’ Zara Marselian, MA, FACHE, Founder, President, and CEO, discusses about an innovative approach created by La Maestra Community Health Centers to address the health and socioeconomic needs of marginalized communities in San Diego, California. This model, called the La Maestra Circle of Care, integrates programs and services across many sectors, including healthcare, education, legal and social services, community development, and economic empowerment.

Zara Marselian, MA, FACHE, Founder, President, and CEO and Alexei Ochola, Secretary, Board of Directors and “Environmental Champion” discuss in Segment ‘2’ how La Maestra decided to put the “green” in well-being and bring environmental innovation and education into the community for all people to access. In August of 2010, La Maestra opened its 36,000 square-foot community health and resource center which is Gold Level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified through the US Green Building Council. More than 400 people visit the facility daily for services. They will describe what makes the building ‘green’ and qualifies it to achieve the LEED Gold certification.

They also discussed other aspects of the operations which improve environmental impact of the health center(s). These elements include, but are not limited to: telehealth (telemedicine), ‘green. janitorial practices, and environmental literacy education. Such initiatives are woven into the company policies for staff, health care providers, health education curricula, and community outreach, among others.

Zara Marselian, MA, FACHE, Founder and as President, and CEO, discusses in Segment ‘3’ how La Maestra provides marginalized communities in the inner city with access to education, jobs, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, programs to save money in the household, and low-cost nutritious food. While improving economic opportunities for these populations, these programs and services also incorporate environmental education and sustainable practices, such as reducing energy and water use; recycling and re-capturing materials to be turned into sellable products; growing or buying fresh organic food, avoiding fast or processed food; and utilizing greener business practices.

Under the leadership of Javier Rodriguez, MD, Medical Director and Pediatrician and Sonia Tucker, Director of Quality Improvement, La Maestra Community Health Centers have been an “early adopter” of technology solutions that enhance access to quality health care for patients visiting its health centers in under-served areas of San Diego County. Utilizing telehealth (telemedicine) allows La Maestra to break down service barriers, such as lack of transportation or limited availability of healthcare specialists, putting patients on the fast-track to improved health while also reducing costs, time, and environmental impacts.

Through the use of state-of-the-art telehealth, imaging equipment, and teleradiology, patients can access medical or mental health specialists, ongoing chronic disease monitoring, or radiology without leaving their home or neighborhood. These services are provided in conjunction with La Maestra’s culturally sensitive health care specialists to facilitate each remote visit. With the use of electronic health records, the Health Information Exchange and the patient portal, patients and all of their providers can can access health information, educational materials, or schedule appointments instantly, without using paper.

As you may know EmeraldPlanet is a worldwide non-profit organization dedicated to identifying at least 1,000 ‘best practices’ for sustainable environmental and economic development. Our efforts are to link those having such “best practices” with those needing the technologies, processes, services, and products to be outstanding ecological stewards of their resources. Please support The Emerald Planet Television and The Emerald Trek through your generous donations of US$25, US$50, or US$100. Click the donations button to make your contributions now
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