Imperial Beach Community Clinic (IBCC) Announces New Chief Executive Officer

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Center Partners (HCP) of Southern California, the region's preeminent authority and health care policy advocate for community health and underserved patient populations, today announced the appointment of Santos Vera as the new chief executive officer of Imperial Beach Community Clinic (IBCC), a member organization of HCP that serves communities in San Diego's South Bay region. Santos succeeds Connie Kirk, who retired after more than three decades in leadership at IBCC.

"Connie has been an integral part of the IBCC leadership team for 31 years and we're excited for Mr. Vera to continue her legacy as he steps into this new role," said IBCC Board Chairwoman, Monica Jaikaran. "Under Mr. Vera's stewardship, we look to a new chapter of our organization with excitement as we build upon high-quality patient-centered care delivered to our local communities that we serve in the South Bay."

"I'm excited about my new role at IBCC and leading this dedicated team of professionals – my focus is to build a culture of trust, collaboration and an unparalleled commitment to quality and a patient-centered approach where patients receive the care they need and the service they deserve," said Santos.

Santos brings extensive experience in leading large community health centers and academic systems to his role at IBCC. He will oversee the strategic direction and ensure a "patient first" philosophy of health care is delivered to every patient IBCC serves.

Santos brings over 25 years of mission-driven experience to the IBCC team, with notable expertise in managing the operations of safety-net health centers and improving the public health system. Prior to joining IBCC, he served as the executive vice president for Avenue 360 Health and Wellness in Houston, Texas, where he led the planning and execution of services in urban and rural communities across the third largest county in the U.S. Previously, in California, Santos served as the executive director for Solana County Medical Services, a large academic safety-net Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), overseeing the day-to-day operations of the health system.

"Health Center Partners welcomes Santos Vera to our family of companies," said Henry Tuttle, president and CEO of Health Center Partners of Southern California. "We look forward to continuing to partner with IBCC, supporting their vision to help ensure all residents in the South Bay region have access to high-quality primary care and health education."

About Imperial Beach Community Clinic
Imperial Beach Community Clinic (IBCC) is a not-for-profit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) providing high-quality, comprehensive health care services to culturally diverse patient populations in the southwest San Diego County since 1971. IBCC provides adult primary care, pediatrics, dentistry, women's health, behavioral health as well as other specialty medical services including community support services: outreach, screening, testing, education, and wellness and prevention. For more information, visit www.ibclinic.org.

About Health Center Partners
A premier consortium of primary health care organizations, Health Center Partners (HCP) is the voice and advocate for its members who serve the health needs of communities throughout southern California. The organization serves as a catalyst for transforming and enhancing primary care by helping our members deliver quality health care to the safety net population in Southern California, through innovative programs, resources, and advocacy. A family of companies, HCP includes a 17-membership organization of Federally Qualified Health Centers, Indian Health Services Organizations, both urban and sovereign, and Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, collectively serving 966,000+ patients each year, for 3.7 million patient visits each year, at 160 practice sites across San Diego, Riverside, Imperial counties, with the seventh largest provider group in the region. For more information, visit https://hcpsocal.org/, become a fan on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter. 

SOURCE Health Center Partners of Southern California