APICHA Community Health Center’s Chief Executive Officer Honored

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2012

New York, NY – Therese R. Rodriguez, APICHA Community Health Center’s Chief Executive Officer, was honored last Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at the Queens Borough Hall Pride Celebration, hosted by Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and New York City Council Members Daniel Dromm and Jimmy Van Bramer. Ms. Rodriguez was honored for her “outstanding advocacy and dedication to ensuring that Asian and Pacific Islanders (API), members of the LGBT community, and those living with HIV/AIDS have equal access to quality mental and physical healthcare” in New York City through her leadership at APICHA since 1997. She was also honored for her steadfast support of Queens Pride from its inauguration in 1993.

The honorees pose with New York City and New York State government officials: (clockwise from top left) Chris Calvert, Pat Pfirman, Janice Velton, City Council Member Daniel Dromm, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, New York Senator Jose Peralta, Mark Christie, Chap James Day, Patricio Valencia, Scott Quasha, Rocky Sanabria, Anne J. Quashen, and Therese R. Rodriguez.

In her acceptance speech, Ms. Rodriguez remarked: “APICHA Community Health Center is an evolution of model of care that believes that immigrants of color with limited English proficiency, people living with HIV/AIDS, members of the LGBT community – communities who nationally suffer severe health disparities – must have a culturally-competent, patient-centered, community-oriented health center… to get the best quality of care that everyone should have.” She also shared her personal coming out story, explaining how it has shaped her as a leader in LGBT health: “[Leadership begins with] self-acceptance, and in this context, desire to be part of working for a better and generous society for all.”

Under her leadership, APICHA has significantly expanded its capacity to offer culturally-sensitive health care to people from marginalized populations. In 2011 alone, APICHA served over 2,600 patients, many of whom cannot access the services it provides at other health centers due to linguistic, financial, or cultural barriers. In the last five years, Ms. Rodriguez facilitated APICHA’s evolution from an HIV-focused medical facility to one that offers primary care to people to people who do not feel comfortable seeking care elsewhere, as well as other members of the general population. In 2010, the quality of APICHA’s services was recognized with the highest level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home qualification by the National committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Furthermore, last November, Ms. Rodriguez led APICHA to open its Trans Health Clinic, which offers comprehensive medical and support services for people of trans experience (transgender; gender queer; gender variant; gender nonconforming), with a focus on those from communities of color.

Ms. Rodriguez’s commitment to public health extends beyond her work at APICHA as well. She was elected to the Board of the National Minority AIDS Council in 1998, and that for the National Coalition on LGBT Health in 2011. She has also served on the New York State Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, to which she was appointed in 2008 by former New York Governor David Paterson.

Other honorees at the ceremony included Chris Calvert, Co-chair of Queens Pride; Anne J. Quashen, President of PFLAG, Queens Chapter; Patricio A. Valencia, Supervisor Education Specialist, AIDS Center of Queens County; Chap James Day, Multicultural Festival Committee Chair, Queens Pride; Rocky Sanabria, Student; Janice Velton and Pat Pfirman; Scott Quasha, Assistant Adjunct Professor, Brookyn College; and Mark Christie, Community Activist.