HealthCare UnTold

Sylvia Bufanda Courtney, a Latina of Mexican and Native American ancestry, was born in Tucson, Arizona, but considers San Francisco her home.  It is where she chose to live after leaving Tucson in 1964 in hopes of being able to work for higher wages than were available to her in Tucson and thereby allow her to afford to go to college since there were many choices in San Francisco as compared to only the University of Arizona in Tucson at that time.  She was raised by a single mother and the costs to attend the U of A were out of reach, even for a working student.  She met and married Vince Courtney soon after arriving in San Francisco and they had two children first, they both finished college at San Francisco State and went on to law school while raising the children and working multiple jobs.  Simultaneously, both Sylvia and Vince became activists beginning in the 60's, organizing against the Vietnam War and for civil rights including farmworkers' union lettuce and grape boycotts and other labor union issues.  Upon becoming a full time student, she was instrumental in establishing the SFSU Childcare Center and served as the first Chair of the Parents' Council.  She was selected as a delegate from SFSU's Student Mobilization Committee Against the War to attend the Washington D C conference of the National Peace Action Coalition which planned and implemented the largest antiwar demonstrations in the U S in the early 1970's.  Before graduating in 1974, summa cum laude, Sylvia taught courses in La Raza and Women's Studies and was awarded a fellowship by Carnegie Endowment for Peace to study and conduct community outreach in San Francisco on issues of racism and its impact on local communities and on international relations. After graduating from law school, Sylvia worked for the federal antipoverty program, U S Community Services Administration, as Region IX Human Rights Chief.  She was hired as a deputy public defender in San Francisco in 1982, and in 1984, entered private practice, specializing in labor and employment law, specifically cases involving wrongful termination, unlawful job discrimination and retaliation.  In 1988, she became a partner in the law firm of Davis, Reno & Courtney in San Francisco, representing individuals and union clients including IFPTE Local 21, SEIU, SF Building & Construction Trades Council, Carpenters Local 22, SF Police Officers' Association, SF Firefighters Local 798, Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA) and others.  She and her husband established Courtney Law Offices in 1998.  Sylvia taught night classes at SF Community College on the subject of employment discrimination for 10 years, and served on the SF Juvenile Justice Commission, and on the boards of various community organizations such as Mission Community Legal Defense (MCLD).Sylvia and Vince Courtney are now residents of Las Vegas, still spending as much time as possible in the San Francisco Bay Area which will always be home and are proud of Nevada's position as a "blue" state which has made a great deal of progress toward increasing the access of people of color to good paying jobs with career progression in many important sectors, such as the unionized construction and h hospitality industries of Las Vegas.  While she has spent many years in the effort to advance the causes of working people and particularly people of color, and laments the divisiveness threatening the nation's progress, Sylvia has hope for the future arising from two phenomena in particular:  1)  We have had conflicts and divisions throughout our history and still continue to make progress, however difficult, and 2) Today's youth of the country are more tolerant of racial, ethnic and gender differences, more aware of the threats to their lives of climate change and the proliferation of guns, and more likely to be committed to change because their lives will depend on it.  As a grandmother of two boys and a girl in their late twenties, who are proud of their Irish and Mexican heritage, Sylvia believes that it is just as important, and perhaps more important, to pass on knowledge, perspective and commitment to members of one's own family as to anyone else, inasmuch as the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.On behalf of HealthCare UnTold we thank and honor Sylvia for sharing her incredible career with us..Gracias Sylvia for your activism and commitment to justice for our communities.

23 Mar 202333min

Darnell Lamont Walker is an American writer, director, and producer who has directed and produced social impact documentaries including Seeking Asylum, Outside the House, and Set Yourself on Fire. He has also written for the children's television shows Karma's World, Face's Music Party, and Blue's Clues & You. Darnell was part of the Karma's World writing team that received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for an Animated Program at the 1st Children's and Family Emmy Awards. One of Darnell's passions outside of writing is serving as a death doula. From a young age he provided comfort and support to many loved ones and friends and he believes that the gift of being a doula chose him.  A large part of his mission in being a Black death doula is to ensure that those in his care do not walk blindly into grief and tragedy or into their final moments alone. His commitment and compassion for his community shines brightly and we at HealthCare Untold honor Darnell Lamont Walker for his beautiful work as a writer and as a Black death doula.

16 Mar 202321min

Matt has over 22 years of experience in affordable housing and community development. He has developed hundreds of affordable homes including rental and for sale in the Sacramento, San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay Areas. In his consulting capacity he serves in several leadership roles including as the Director of Northern CA for PATH Ventures and as Senior Advisor for the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership. He has led nationally recognized housing programs including a HUD Certified Counseling Agency and Fannie Mae 1st Mortgage Seller and Servicer as the former Executive Director of Neighborhood Housing Services Silicon Valley. Matt serves on the Boards of the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California Action Fund and the California Coalition for Rural Housing. He earned a B.S. in Community and Regional Development from the University of California at Davis where he also served as the President of the Associated Students during his senior year. Matt is based in Salinas where he enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and 3 young children. HealthCare UnTold honors Matt for his dedication to improving the lives and health of our communities by committing his career to building Affordable Housing and Community Development.#matthuertaconsulting#housingishealth#housingisaright

9 Mar 202330min

Richard Raya is the Chief Strategy Officer for the Mission Economic Development Agency in San Francisco. In this role, he helps to develop strategies to support the economic development of the Mission District, a historically Latino neighborhood in the heart of the city. Richard is helping to drive systems change across the city of San Francisco, moving from a Promise Neighborhood to a Promise City. Richard has a deep understanding of the challenges that face low-income communities and works to develop sustainable economic solutions that benefit all members of the community. He has over 20 years of experience in community and economic development. HealthCare UnTold honors Richard Raya for being one of our Community Transformers!#Meda.org#promiseneighborhoods#promisecities

4 Mar 202323min

Nicole Lamoureux is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC). NAFC's 1,400 member organizations, Board of Directors, and partners advance the mission of ensuring that the medically underserved have access to affordable, quality health care. The Association provides legislative and health advocacy, quality care recommendations for clinic providers, and supplies and support for the clinics from corporate and individual donors.Participating clinics provide primary care to over 2 million people across the country, individuals who couldn't afford healthcare otherwise and who without these services would be seeking care in emergency rooms. These clinics are essential to our communities as they serve our most vulnerable communities. HealthCare UnTold honors Nicole Lamoureux's pioneering leadership and the vital healthcare service of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.    #healthcare#nafc.org#freeclinics#charitableclinics

23 Feb 202327min

Dr. Chanda Nicole Holsey is a Health Education and Maternal and Child Health specialist.  She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology where she graduated with honors at San Diego State University.  She also received a Master of Public Health in Behavioral Science and Health Education from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and a Doctor of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  Additionally, Dr. Holsey is a certified asthma educator (AE-C).  She has a passion for influencing children and families, especially the underserved and indigent.  She has worked with young children for much of her professional career in health education and promotion, and public health services.  At present, she is a consultant for both the African American Wellness Project and the National Medical Association.  In these roles she serves as a health disparities programs developer, where she writes grants, develops, and oversees the implementation of programs that focus on chronic disease prevention and health promotion in communities of color; she does this meaningful work under the umbrella of the public health company she founded, HALO for Families, LLC.She is also an adjunct professor for Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences, where she teaches an array of health care course, e.g., Community Capacity Building, Current Issues in Health Care, Topics in Maternal and Child Health, Health Care Delivery Systems, and Ethics of Health Care.Dr. Holsey refers to herself as a “virtual work from home mommy”, as currently she and her family resides in Sasebo, Japan.  Her husband is active-duty military with sea orders on mainland Japan.Dr. Holsey is the wife of enlisted sailor, Eric Demond, and the mother of two beautiful daughters—Savannah Nicole, age 14, and Erin Morgan, age nine.  Tweety, a spunky two – year old Jack Russell Terrier mix was adopted into the family in 2020.

16 Feb 202333min

Today's episode explores the important roles of community-based organizations during disasters. Three local nonprofit CEOs in Watsonville, CA--Erica Padilla Chavez, Maria Elena de la Garza, and Jasmine Najera--share with us the important responses that their organizations have provided to their City and Counties without having official roles in government disaster structures. Local Organizations are trusted by members of the most vulnerable communities because they are the daily providers of comprehensive services like food, mental health, housing, and financial assistance. These types of organizations will knock on doors, fill sandbags, and provide whatever is needed during and after local emergencies.Incorporating local organizations in the official emergency response structures of Government Disaster Mangement is an essential and proven best practice; doing so ensures that communities can receive the help they need and that local providers are cared for and reimbursed for their services.  Please listen in as community leaders Erica, Maria Elena, and Jasmine share their expertise and inspiring stories.

9 Feb 202342min

Albino Garcia Jr. is the Founder of La Plazita Institute, a grass-roots community organization in Albuquerque, NM that engages young people and their families in a comprehensive, holistic approach to youth and community development. A major focus of La Plazita is to help prevent recidivism amongst formerly incarcerated youth and adults. Garcia was born in Illinois and grew up near Chicago. As a young man, he struggled to relate to the cultural values and approaches of public school and other institutions, but today he draws on a wealth of street knowledge and experience to effectively work with youth. In 1979, at the age of 17, he served in the United States Military as an alternative to incarceration. He served seven years, including in Korea, and received recognition for his service.  In 1994, Garcia founded the New School of Watsonville, CA designed to give youth a second chance for education in an alternative setting more conductive to their needs. He has served as an educator, trainer, and community liaison for the Community Engagement Center at the University of New Mexico, and as a Deputy Director of Training at Youth Development Inc. in New Mexico. He also has several years of experience as the lead program coordinator at Barrios Unidos in Santa Cruz, CA, where he initiated school-based, community-based, and institution programming. In 1995, he was one of 50 people chosen for the prestigious Kellogg Fellowship which awarded him $130,000 over three years to make a difference in addressing major social issues in the United States and beyond. As a Fellow, Garcia had the opportunity to travel extensively, meeting with noted thinkers and leaders including President Jimmy Carter, the Rigoberta Menchu Foundation in Guatemala City, Samuel Ruiz, the Dalai Lama, Parker Palmer, and others. He visited and participated in forums around civic engagement, leadership, and global issues in Brazil, Turkey, Greece, Peru, Guatemala, Belize, South Africa, Mexico, and cities across the United States. Apache and Chichimeca in origin, Garcia is recognized as an outstanding leader and spiritual activist in Albuquerque, NM and was recently honored by the Rosebud Tribe. He speaks English and Spanish fluently and has conversational knowledge of Korean. He has been married for twenty-two years to his wife Frances, is the father of three children, Ursula, Albino Jr., and Sylvia, and has two grandchildren, Mariah and Adriana. HealthCare UnTold recognizes Albino Garcia Jr. for all of his many inspiring contributions focused on creating peace and solidarity.

2 Feb 202329min