Jamie DaSilva

This month, LifeLong’s CEO Cecilia Aviles, Chief Strategy Officer Julie Sinai, and Chief of Staff Leigh Felton, attended the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) conference in Atlanta. The conference provided valuable insights and highlighted key trends within Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). It was inspiring to learn that community health centers now serve 32.5 million patients nationwide—1 in 10 Americans! The vision shared at the conference to expand our reach even further—to 1 in 3 Americans—is both ambitious and achievable.

Throughout the conference, the theme of “Partnerships of Choice” was emphasized, showcasing how strategic collaborations can advance the goal of increasing access to care across our communities. One critical partner highlighted was the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen addressed attendees, discussing this summer’s COVID-19 spread and noting that hospitalization rates across the country were highest among children under the age of five. She also referenced a recent study revealing that the number one reason people don’t get vaccinated is that “their provider didn’t recommend it.” Dr. Cohen urged us to elevate the message to our patients to get vaccinated this fall.

NACHC CEO Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, eloquently captured the essence of the event, stating, “Health centers are enduring. When you consider their impact on the health of our families, our communities, and the people we serve, we represent the center of hope, dreams, and opportunities.” This resonates deeply with me, and I returned from the conference energized by the possibilities ahead.

He continued, “We are the most resilient and the most diverse part of the health system. Don’t undervalue that diversity, whether it’s racial, ethnic, or geographic.”

The conference reinforced the belief in the power of community health centers to drive positive change. Every year, NACHC organizes events like the Policy & Issues (P&I) Forum and the Community Health Institute (CHI) & Expo Conference to support and celebrate community health centers, further reinforcing their crucial role in delivering high-quality care to underserved populations.

These events serve multiple key purposes: advocacy, policy influence, education, and training. They are vital for ensuring that community health centers remain competitive, financially stable, and capable of making a lasting impact.

Intranet picture left to right: Julie Sinai, Chief Strategy Officer, Gerrard Jolly, MA, CDP®, Joe Lee, MSHA.

Dear LifeLong Team,

As August comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on this first month as CEO with a deep sense of gratitude and purpose. The past few weeks have been filled with opportunities to learn, connect, and truly immerse myself in the heart of LifeLong – our staff, our clinicians, and our community. From the moment I stepped into this role, it was clear to me that the strength of our organization lies in the dedication and compassion of our team.

Experiencing LifeLong in the Field

In these initial days, I’ve had the privilege of visiting several of our sites, including Berkeley Dental Care, West Berkeley Health Center, and joining our Street Medicine: Adeline team. I also spent time at Immediate/Urgent Care at both William Jenkins and Pinole, Brookside San Pablo Health Center, and with our Call Center & Care Transition teams. What struck me most during these visits was the palpable deep care and professionalism that permeates every interaction, decision, and service we provide. 

Whether it’s the transformative work happening in our clinics or the critical care delivered by our urgent care teams, I’ve witnessed firsthand the profound impact we have on the lives of our patients. Our mobile health teams left a lasting impression. Their ability to bring care to those who are unhoused exemplifies the very essence of LifeLong’s mission – to provide high-quality care to underserved people of all ages. The diverse services we offer—from yoga at Pinole to acupuncture and chiropractic care at Brookside San Pablo Health Center—underscore our commitment to treating the whole person.

Listening to Our Team’s Needs

My background as a trauma RN gives me a deep understanding of the pressures our teams face daily, and I am committed to ensuring that we build a supportive, trusting environment where team members feel valued and connected. As I’ve engaged with many of you, I’ve been listening closely to your feedback and concerns. One message that has resonated across the board is the need to focus on recruitment and retention. I want you to know that this is not just a priority; it’s a responsibility that I take seriously. I encourage you to continue sharing with me as we work together to address these critical issues; more on that below. 

Collaborating with Our Board

I had the honor of hosting my first meeting with our Board of Directors and SLT earlier this week. The Board’s guidance and support are crucial as we navigate the complexities of our mission, ensuring that we remain financially stable while continuing to expand our impact. I am eager to work closely with them to further strengthen LifeLong’s ability to serve our communities.

Insights from the NACHC Conference

This month also took me to the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) conference, where I gained valuable learnings and trends within Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). It was inspiring to learn that community health centers now serve 32.5 million patients nationwide—1 in 10 Americans! The vision shared at the conference to expand our reach even further—to 1 in 3 Americans—is both ambitious and achievable. 

As NACHC CEO Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, aptly put it, health centers are the “center of hope, dreams, and opportunities.” This resonates deeply with me, and I returned from the conference excited by the possibilities ahead. 

As summer winds down, I want to extend my heartfelt wishes to all of you. For those with children returning to school, I hope the transition has been smooth and filled with excitement. I experienced this myself as I recently dropped my eldest daughter off at college for her junior year, while my youngest has just started her sophomore year in high school. The start of fall always brings with it a sense of renewal—a perfect time to embark on setting our priorities with fresh energy and a clear focus on our goals.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment to LifeLong and to the people we serve. I am honored to be on this journey with you, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish together in the months and years ahead.

Warm regards,

Cecilia Aviles, MBA, BSN, RN  

Pronouns: she/her/ella

By Willa Damon, Associate Clinical Social Worker, DEIB Committee Member 

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On July 25th, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state agencies to sweep homeless camps throughout California, one month after the Supreme Court’s ruling increasing state and local authorities’ power to criminalize homelessness. 

It was with a heavy heart that many of us read the headline for July 25th. We thought about how it would affect our houseless patients, community members, and loved ones. We have also been in reflection about one of our LifeLong Medical Care (LMC) teams- The Street Medicine Team, how this would impact the folks they work with and the staff as well. 

Newsom’s order requires state agencies to clear camps on state property and encourages local governments to do the same. Previously, cities were prohibited from criminalizing people for sleeping outside if they had nowhere else to go, so local courts ordered several cities, including San Francisco, to halt or pause encampment sweeps. 

The new order guides municipalities to follow the Caltrans approach, which in many respects, has been problematic: “State agencies should warn residents at least 48 hours before clearing a camp. They also are required to store residents’ belongings for at least 60 days, and to request services for displaced residents from local organizations. However, if an encampment is deemed to pose an “imminent threat” to life, health, safety or infrastructure, the agency can remove a camp immediately.” 

There has been ample appropriate criticism of Caltrans methods thus far. In 2020, the agency settled a lawsuit for $5.5 million which accused it of destroying property belonging to homeless Alameda County residents. 48 hours is often not enough time by a long shot to find a new place to live, let alone move with all the logistics that accompany moving, especially if you have no transportation and very little financial resources. Secondarily, most camps are deemed imminent and therefore most belongings are bulldozed and thrown away. You likely also have seen their solutions- covering areas surrounding freeway on/off with large rocks to make the land inhabitable and so uncomfortable a person cannot sleep on it. 

Many of us are worried how this recent Order will impact our communities. Who will be arrested as a result? Who will lose their belongings again? Who might be hurt or harmed as a result of this order? We are sending our houseless communities and The Street Medicine Team some big love as we navigate the impacts of this order. 

Look below for some commonly believed myths about people experiencing homelessness. 

Myth 1- “Most people experiencing houselessness are from outside areas coming in to take our local resources.” 

The vast majority of people who are homeless in California are from California — and most are still living in the same county where they lost their housing, according to a recent large-scale survey of unhoused Californians conducted by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative. 

Myth 2 – Most people experiencing homelessness are serious substance users and or have serious mental health (MH) conditions. 

• 22-50% reported significant MH or SUD challenges. 

• Meaning 50-78% do not report significant MH or SUD challenges. 

“JOHN’S STORY”: John is living in an encampment with about 20 other people on a riverbed—a spot that is well known to the local police. Early morning raids mean that he often must quickly gather his things and leave, or he might be searched and arrested. He has started using methamphetamine to stay up all night. He used to drink, but when he passed out in the encampment his things would get stolen and he would miss the others’ signals that the police had arrived. Methamphetamine makes him feel antsy and wired. Sometimes he isn’t able to sleep for several days in a row, which makes him feel worse. But right now, he doesn’t see a way to be sober given where he is living.” https://homelessness.ucsf.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/CASPEH_Report_62023.pdf  

Myth 3 – Most people ‘want to be outside’ or ‘reject services offered to them’. 

Many people living on the streets feel they cannot live in a shelter where many people sleep right next to each other, side-by-side in rows on cots or mats on the ground…some of these reasons include mental health conditions such as PTSD, concerns about Covid or other health matters, or the restrictive rules of shelters. Shelters typically do not allow pets, won’t let couples sleep/live together, and often limit belongings to one small bag and provide no storage options. These factors in combination make living in a shelter not a viable option for many people. Shelters are the entry point for most housing options. The data shows when people are offered shelter and actual housing that meets their needs, they are likely to accept it. *a shelter bed is not the same thing as housing* 

https://homelessness.ucsf.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/CASPEH_Report_62023.pdf

Some primary factors that contribute to homelessness for people are only economic on the surface, they intersect with other systems of power, privilege and oppression. 

Systemic and structural inequality and inequity such as racism, transphobia and heterosexism, disability injustice, impacts of criminal injustice systems, and the impacts immigration criminalization are some of the some of the contributing factors that lead to losing one’s housing. 

• Debt: housing expenses and cost of living is not covered by the 1-3 jobs they work 

• Medical conditions that prohibit working and or caregiving responsibilities that are difficult to navigate while working 

• SSDI/SSI/SDI does not cover cost of living expenses 

Dear LifeLong Employees,

It is my pleasure to introduce Leigh Felton, who will be joining us as our new Chief of Staff. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Leigh as she steps into this pivotal role.

As Chief of Staff, Leigh will guide strategic planning and operations of the executive office, ensuring our top initiatives align with LifeLong’s goals. She will oversee Board operations, manage executive engagements, and partner closely with our Senior Leadership Team to strengthen communication and coordination. She will also step in as my representative when needed, working closely with the CEO to advance LifeLong’s mission. 

Leigh’s path to this role is remarkable, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective. During her fifteen years at Microsoft Corporation, Leigh served as Chief of Staff for several business units, and also led ethical AI and technology equity programs to ensure representation of underserved communities.

Leigh also served as VP and Chief of Staff to the CEO at Mozilla. She has worked in the public sector as Director of the Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness for Washington State, where she oversaw critical programs in economic development, import/export, marketing, communications, and infrastructure, while representing the state to key partners and legislators.

Leigh’s transition from tech to healthcare brings a fresh perspective to LifeLong. She believes that tech-driven innovation and efficiency can significantly improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. This aligns perfectly with our Board’s and my commitment to enhancing lives through innovative health solutions.

Leigh holds an MBA in Business Communications, and is committed to the belief that learning extends beyond formal education. As the host of the podcast “So, You’re Thinking About Being a Chief of Staff” and the author of “Unlocking Your Inner Chief of Staff,” Leigh is widely followed as a leader in offering practical insights to maximize organizational impact.

Leigh’s addition to our Senior Leadership Team marks a significant step forward in our journey. I am confident that her unique experiences, commitment to authentic leadership, and seasoned approach to organizational management will be instrumental in driving innovative, compassionate, and effective healthcare services to our communities.

Thank you for your ongoing dedication to our mission and for welcoming Leigh to our team. I encourage each of you to connect with Leigh at lfelton@lifelongmedical.org.

Warm regards,

Cecilia Aviles, MBA, BSN, RN
Pronouns: she/her/ella