UMMA Welcomes New Chief Medical Officer

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- UMMA Community Clinic is pleased to announce Cesar Barba, MD, as their new Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

Dr. Cesar Barba has a long history with UMMA. As a medical student at Charles R. Drew's UCLA Medical Education Program, he volunteered with UMMA Clinic and found their philosophy akin to his own – that healthcare is a right not a privilege, and everyone deserves to live a healthy life.

Early life experiences shaped his philosophy. Born of Mexican immigrants and raised with four siblings in southern California, his family was uninsured and had to cross the border into Tijuana for medical care. The inaccessibility of such a basic human need made him acutely aware of the obstacles that communities across the country face, and served as his impetus to pursue a medical degree and change the narrative.

Before returning to UMMA to practice Family Medicine in 2011, Dr. Barba received a fellowship through the GE-NMF Global Health Fellows Program to conduct research on childhood malaria in Ghana. This hands-on experience furthered his desire to better understand and address the needs of underserved communities.

"We are pleased that Dr. Barba will be UMMA's CMO," UMMA's Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Miriam Vega stated, "In these times of great anxiety for our patients, his keen understanding of community health needs is crucial as we strive to enhance patient services and continue to serve as a voice for our community."

Dr. Barba received his medical degree from Charles R. Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program and completed his residence at Harbor/UCLA Family Medicine.

Founded in the wake of the Rodney King uprising by Muslim-American medical students from UCLA and Charles Drew University, UMMA Community Clinic is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in South Los Angeles. UMMA's mission to serve those in need regardless of their ability to pay is redefining health care by applying the ethical, financial and social teachings of Islam to the problems of caring for the underserved.

FQHC's such as UMMA provide primary and preventative care to over 9 million patients and employ 50,000 people across the country, but will lose federal funding if Congress does not renew the Health Centers Fund by September 30^th. Call your Member of Congress today and ask that they #FixtheCliff using the toll-free advocacy line: 1-866-456-3949

SOURCE UMMA Community Clinic

Related Links

http://www.ummaclinic.org/