Fort Bragg, CA – Mendocino Coast Clinics (MCC) se complace en dar la bienvenida a la Dra. Patti Chico, un médico de medicina familiar cuyo enfoque de la medicina “parece encajar perfectamente en nuestra comunidad costera,” según la directora ejecutiva de MCC, Lucresha Renteria.

La Dra. Chico se ve a sí misma como una curandera, lo que significa que es una entrenadora de salud y defensora del paciente tanto como una doctora, enfocada en las necesidades físicas y emocionales de los pacientes. Ella comprende que muchas personas se sienten desamparadas por el sistema de salud que consideran inflexible, impersonal y difícil de navegar. Estos desafíos a menudo se ven agravados por la raza, la clase, el género y la orientación sexual. Y cuando la atención no es culturalmente competente, aumenta el riesgo de malos resultados e incluso la muerte.

“Cuando las personas se sienten sin poder, es razonable que se desconecten. Quiero proporcionar una entrada de regreso al sistema de salud. Quiero ser su navegante y su animadora. Mi trabajo es brindarles información que puedan usar para tomar las mejores decisiones por sí mismos,” comentó la Dra. Eso a menudo significa proporcionar información a los pacientes y darles tiempo para considerar las cosas. En una industria donde la gente a menudo se siente presionada a tomar decisiones rápidas, la Dra. Chico ralentiza las cosas y les da a sus pacientes el espacio para pensar detenidamente. Con un enfoque colaborativo y respetuoso, su objetivo es ayudar a los pacientes a crear metas de salud que crean que pueden lograr.

“Estoy aquí para brindarles el apoyo que necesitan para sanar y cuidar la preciosa maquinaria que habitan: sus cuerpos. Mi objetivo es ayudarlos a idear un plan que sea factible para ellos. Es posible que necesitemos perfeccionar ese plan con el tiempo, y eso está bien. No estoy aquí para regañar o juzgar, sino para ayudarlos a tener éxito,” explicó. Ella espera poder colaborar con todos los pacientes y ofrecer a la comunidad de habla hispana un proveedor que se parezca a ellos y que hable su idioma. Después de todo, la investigación muestra que cuando un proveedor y un paciente comparten antecedentes comunes, los pacientes obtienen mejores resultados.

La Dra. Chico dice que siente afinidad por la gente de las comunidades rurales en general. “En las comunidades rurales donde he practicado, la gente tiende a ser resistente y trabajadora. Ellos hacen lo que pueden para cuidar de sí mismos y cuando necesitan ayuda, vienen a verme,” dijo. A ella le gusta la naturaleza independiente de la población rural y respeta su derecho a buscar atención cuando esté lista, aunque admite que cuanto antes es mejor, ya que ha visto muchos problemas en un estado severo que podrían haberse prevenido o al menos mitigado.

“Siempre les digo a mis pacientes que si vienen y resulta que no es nada, fue una buena decisión entrar. No deberían cargar con la carga de tratar de averiguar qué está pasando con sus cuerpos sobre ellos mismos. Podemos resolverlo juntos o al menos descartar cualquier cosa que necesite atención inmediata,” ella dijo.

La Dra. Chico ha trabajado exclusivamente en centros de salud con calificación federal (FQHC) como MCC durante los últimos ocho años. Antes de eso, eligió a propósito un programa de residencia con una clínica de continuidad FQHC porque sabía que quería trabajar hábilmente con una población de pacientes con problemas médicos y complejos sociales. En los cinco años transcurridos desde que se graduó de la escuela de medicina, ha trabajado en una variedad de entornos, tanto urbanos como rurales, y ha perfeccionado sus habilidades no solo en la gestión de un panel de pacientes ocupado, sino también en la construcción de una relación significativa con los pacientes. “Valoro el arte de curar, que va mucho más allá de la salud física,” ella dijo.

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MCC es un centro de salud calificado federalmente sin fines de lucro que brinda atención médica, dental y de salud conductual a los residentes de Westport a Elk y al interior de Comptche en el condado de Mendocino. www.mendocinocoastclinics.org

Fort Bragg, CA – Mendocino Coast Clinics (MCC) is pleased to welcome Dr. Patti Chico, a family medicine physician whose approach to medicine “appears to be a perfect fit for our coastal community,” according to MCC Executive Director Lucresha Renteria.

Dr. Chico sees herself as a healer, which means she is a health coach and patient advocate as much as a doctor, focused on patients’ physical and emotional needs. She understands that many people feel disempowered by the healthcare system they have found to be inflexible, impersonal, and hard to navigate. These challenges are often exacerbated by race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. And when care is not culturally competent, the risk for bad outcomes and even death are increased.

“When people feel disempowered, it is reasonable for them to disengage. I want to provide an entryway back into the healthcare system. I want to be their navigator and their cheerleader. My job is to provide them with information they can use to make the best decisions for themselves,” she said. That often means providing patients with information and giving them time to consider things. In an industry where people often feel pressured to make quick decisions, Dr. Chico slows things down and gives her patients the space to think things through. Using a respectful, collaborative approach, her goal is to help patients create health goals they believe they can accomplish.

“I am here to provide them with the support they need to heal and care for the precious machinery they inhabit: their bodies. My goal is to help them come up with a plan that is achievable for them. We may need to hone that plan over time, and that is ok. I am not here to scold or judge but rather to help them find success,” she explained. She looks forward to partnering with all patients and offering the Spanish-speaking community a provider who both looks like them and speaks their language. After all, research shows that when a provider and patient share a common background, patients have better outcomes.

Dr. Chico says she feels an affinity for people in rural communities in general. “In the rural communities where I’ve practiced, people tend to be resilient and hard-working. They do what they can to take care of themselves and when they need help, they come and see me,” she said. She likes the independent nature of rural people and respects their right to seek care when they are ready, though she admits that sooner is usually better as she has seen many issues in a severe state that could have been prevented or at least mitigated.

“I always tell my patients that if they come in and it turns out to be nothing, it was still a good decision to come in. They should not place the burden of trying to figure out what’s going on with their bodies on themselves. We can figure it out together or at the very least rule out anything that needs immediate attention,” she said.

Dr. Chico has worked exclusively at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) like MCC for the past eight years. Before that, she purposefully chose a residency program with an FQHC continuity clinic because she knew she wanted to work skillfully with a patient population with complex medical and social issues. In the five years since she graduated from medical school, she has worked in a variety of settings, both urban and rural, and has honed her skills not only in managing a busy patient panel, but also in building meaningful relationships with patients. “I value the art of healing, which goes well beyond physical health,” she said.

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MCC is a non-profit, federally qualified health center providing medical, dental and behavioral health care to residents from Westport to Elk and inland to Comptche in Mendocino County. www.mendocinocoastclinics.org

Earlier this year, the Biden Administration announced a new partnership with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to distribute COVID-19 vaccines. A recent White House briefing reported that “given the critical role that these providers play in their communities, President Biden will launch a new program to ensure that FQHCs can directly access vaccine supply where needed. At the same time, the administration will encourage jurisdictions to engage and work closely with health centers in their community vaccination planning.”

In Mendocino County, FQHCs include community health centers such as Anderson Valley Health Center in Boonville, Long Valley Health Center in Laytonville, MCHC Health Centers in Ukiah and Willits, Mendocino Coast Clinics in Fort Bragg, and Redwood Coast Medical Services in Gualala. Nationally, FQHCs serve more than 30 million patients each year — one in 11 people nationwide. Locally, FQHCs and affiliated community health centers, such as Baechtel Creek Medical Clinic in Willits, serve about two-thirds of people in Mendocino County, providing everything from medical care to behavioral health services, dental care, and some specialty services.

During the pandemic, FQHCs have been a crucial resource in delivering COVID testing and vaccines because these community health centers have trusting relationships with patients throughout the county, including in the most remote parts of our county.

In partnership with Mendocino County Public Health and Adventist Health, local community health clinics have administered more than 20,000 vaccines to Mendocino County residents.

Mendocino Coast Clinics Executive Director Lucresha Renteria said, “As soon as we receive notice that vaccine doses are coming our way, we jump into action and schedule vaccination clinics in line with the county’s vaccine distribution plan. We often have very short notice, but that doesn’t stop us from doing everything we can to get as many people vaccinated as possible.”

The county’s vaccine distribution plan can be found online at mendocinocounty.org/community/novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccinations. The county is currently vaccinating people in the first two phases of the plan, which includes healthcare workers, people 65 and older, and people in essential job sectors such as education, childcare, emergency services, and food and agriculture. In addition, people of any age with proof of the following medical conditions—those that increase vulnerability to COVID-19—are eligible for vaccination.

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease (stage 4)
• Oxygen-dependent COPD
• Diabetes (hemoglobin A1c > 7.5 percent)
• Heart disease (heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy)
• Immunocompromised state due to disease or medications
• Pregnancy
• Severe obesity (BMI > 40kg/m2)
• Sickle cell disease
• Physical or mental disabilities that increase risk of severe COVID or would cause problems caring for them if they contracted the virus.

The county’s access to vaccines is limited, and community health clinics can only distribute what they receive. Renteria is hopeful that with additional federal funding to increase vaccine production and distribution, local supplies will increase. Until then, she encourages people to continue to follow safety measures such as masking and social distancing.