La Clinica Staff and Clients:
One Community

March April 2003
Photos and text by Richard Bermack

Triage Nurse Scott Taylor with Luis and Josefina. The family lacked insurance and needed a wheelchair for their grandfather. Taylor searched until he was finally able to get one donated by an organization that recycles medical equipment for people who don’t have insurance or can’t afford it. Luis is very grateful: “My grandfather can’t walk very good, and we can’t help him to walk, so we’re very thankful they could donate this one to us.”

Physician’s assistant Michael Terry works under the supervision of a doctor and provides quality care but at less expense than a doctor. “I tell people, I’m like a doctor who doesn’t play golf.”

Luis Vasquez has been coming to La Clinica since he was eight years old and he is now 38. He remembers as a young child helping his parents circulate petitions to get funding for La Clinica in its early years. “I remember my parents got together with a lot of the people from the community to help out. They wanted to close down because they didn’t have enough funds. The government says that they don’t have money, but they’ve got money to go to war.”

Nurse’s Assistant Yanetha Oliva (right) has worked at La Clinica for 13 years. “I’ve seen people who were born and grown up here. The people who work here are a family and I think patients feel that way too. They feel that La Clinica is here for them, and they are worried about what will happen with the budget cuts.” Her patient Maria Barahas has been coming to La Clinica for four years. Barahas has no insurance and receives care at La Clinica for free. She suffers from heart problems and is very appreciative of the quality care she receives.

Prenatal Program Specialist Dora Montoroza assists patients applying for Medi-Cal and then does the billing. The 25 years she has worked at La Clinica have given her a lot of satisfaction. She has seen babies grow up to become mothers, and the difference the health care and prenatal care has made in their lives. Her cubical is filled with the baby pictures her clients have given her. “I feel good when I see them, especially with their healthy babies. You see how they’ve improved their health patterns with all the classes we’ve provided. ”

She likes working with immigrants the best. “I like providing them the information that they don’t have. The whole prenatal care is totally new for them. We teach them about birth control, breast feeding, nutrition, car seats, and that is all new for them. They don’t know that they need a car seat for their baby to be released from the hospital.”