BETHESDA, Md., April 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) has inducted Castulo de la Rocha, President and CEO of AltaMed Health Services into the NACHC Grassroots Advocacy Hall of Fame.  This award recognizes de la Rocha's lasting contributions to ensuring the creation, survival and strength of Community Health Centers and the health center movement over many years.

For the past 33 years, de la Rocha's passion has been delivering quality care to the underserved communities of Southern California.  He has overseen the expansion of AltaMed Health Services from a single clinic in Los Angeles to a network of over 20 low cost health clinics. Each year, his unwavering dedication has made it possible for over 150,000 patients to receive health services in Los Angeles and Orange County.

"It is an honor to be recognized for my work in healthcare," said de la Rocha.  "But this award truly belongs to AltaMed's 1,900 employees. Their dedication to the medically underserved and uninsured inspires me.  Without their work it would not be possible to serve the Southern California community."  

Demand for health center services is growing and local, state, and national support for these initiatives is critical -- now more than ever. The network of health center grassroots advocates in NACHC working in communities across the country to spread the message, help make this key support possible.

"Castulo de la Rocha has been a passionate advocate on behalf of health centers nationwide," said Tom Van Coverden, President and CEO of NACHC. "We would not be here today in such full force were it not for people like de la Rocha in the community working for better health care.  We deeply appreciate his tireless work, dedication and energetic leadership."

De la Rocha was one of five individuals inducted into the Grassroots Advocacy Hall of Fame at he 36th Annual NACHC Policy and Issues Forum in Washington, D.C., an event attended by more than 2,000 health center leaders from around the country.

AltaMed Health Services

AltaMed is Southern California's leading nonprofit health care system delivering integrated primary care services, senior care programs, and health and human services for the entire family. AltaMed's team of multicultural and bilingual physicians and health care professionals deliver superior quality care through an integrated delivery system of 43 sites and an affiliated Independent Practice Association (IPA) of contracted physicians in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

National Association of Community Health Centers

Founded in 1970, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance and expand access to quality, community-responsive health care for America's medically underserved and uninsured.  NACHC represents the nation's network of over 1,200 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which serve more than 20 million people through 8,000 sites located in all of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.    

SOURCE National Association of Community Health Centers

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