Scotts Valley, Calif., March 6, 2024 — Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance), the Medi-Cal managed health care plan for residents of Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Omar Guzmán as its new Chief Health Equity Officer (CHEO). Dr. Guzmán, a board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician, brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to community partnerships and health equity initiatives.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Guzmán to the Alliance as our inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer,” said Alliance CEO Michael Schrader. “We recognize there’s a real opportunity before us to improve member health outcomes by addressing gaps in care and health disparities. Dr. Guzmán’s lived experience, combined with his strong track record of community leadership and health advocacy, make him a natural candidate to lead our efforts in advancing health equity for our members,” Schrader said.
Dr. Guzmán has a deep understanding of the social and structural drivers of health that impact the overall health of residents, especially those in rural communities. The son of migrant field workers, Dr. Guzmán was born and raised in the Central Valley. He obtained his medical degree from the University of California, Irvine, and completed his internship and residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco in Fresno, CA. He was most recently an emergency medical physician at Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia, CA. While there, he also served as Director for Undergraduate Medical Education, training resident physicians in Emergency Medicine, and he was the Medical Director of the Street Medicine Program, which he co-founded, pioneering innovative strategies to provide care to underserved populations, particularly those experiencing homelessness.
Dr. Guzmán’s accomplishments, honors and awards include Health Care Sector Representative for Tulare County Task Force on Homelessness, Top Latino Leader by the Council for Latino Workplace Equity, and Physician of the Year by the Central Valley Medical Student Association.
Most recently, Dr. Guzmán is a graduate of the inaugural cohort for the Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship through the American Medical Association. The Fellowship was a yearlong training for physician advocates to help advance equity and remove barriers to optimal health for marginalized people and communities.
“I am honored to join the Alliance and continue my work in advancing health equity,” said Dr. Guzmán. “My upbringing, along with my medical training and expertise, have instilled in me a deep sense of responsibility to serve communities and advocate for those in need.”
Dr. Guzmán acknowledges that poverty, homelessness, and many other social and structural drivers of health are some of the key challenges facing Alliance members. He emphasized the importance of understanding and addressing these issues to improve health outcomes for all individuals, regardless of background or socioeconomic status.
“I am excited to collaborate with community members, health care professionals and local leaders to develop inclusive health care solutions,” added Dr. Guzmán. “By listening to the needs of the community and leveraging best practices, we can create meaningful change and ensure equitable access to quality health care for all.”
In his new role, Dr. Guzmán will focus on building relationships with community organizations and implementing impactful programs to address health disparities. He intends to leverage the Alliance’s strategic priority of health equity to integrate communities into health care and empower individuals to become ambassadors for their own health.
About Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance)
The Alliance is an award-winning regional non-profit health plan, established in 1996, with over 28 years of successful operation. Using the State’s County Organized Health System (COHS) model, we currently serve 456,017 members in Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. We work in partnership with our contracted providers to promote prevention, early detection and effective treatment, and improve access to quality health care for those we serve. This results in the delivery of innovative community-based health care services, better medical outcomes and cost savings. The Alliance is governed with local representation from each county on our Board of Commissioners. For more information, visit www.thealliance.health.
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