Altamed Health Services' Foundation Appoints Four New Board of Trustees

LOS ANGELES - May 30, 2018 - PRLog -- The AltaMed Foundation, responsible for serving as the leadership body for philanthropic support for AltaMed Health Services, the nation's largest federally qualified community health center (FQHC), announces the appointment of William De La Peña, Duane Saikami, Avo Ashkharikian, and John Ek to its Board of Trustees.

Professor of ophthalmology and founder and medical director of the De La Peña Eye Clinics, headquartered in Montebello, William De La Peña was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Regent to the Uniformed Services University for Health Sciences. He is the founder and president of the Fundación Oftalmológica De La Peña, and the founder and chairman of the Latin American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, non-profit organizations dedicated to the education of ophthalmology throughout the world.

Dr. Duane Saikami, co-founder and COO of PharMedQuest, a specialty healthcare management (SHM) company, manages an organization that works with physician organizations, FQHCs, PACE programs, pharmaceutical manufacturers, health insurance companies, and health care entities to develop and implement managed pharmaceutical care strategies and solutions. Dr. Saikami is an expert in the integration of pharmacy practice into medical services and has a long record of successful pharmacy service development, expense reduction, and revenue generation. Additionally, he is a board member for the Institute for HealthCare Advancement, an organization that promotes healthcare literacy and provides outreach and social services in North Orange County in California.

Avo Ashkharikian serves as the President and CEO of Ortho Engineering Inc., the leading provider and producer of prosthetics and orthotics. He is also the CEO and founder of Innercot, a groundbreaking online payer provider contracting and marketing software solution for the healthcare community. Ashkharikian is the youngest CEO in healthcare. He has also been heavily involved in the many communities that his companies serves, and has been a champion for change, advancement and advocacy for underserved communities. Along with Dr. Ram Dandillaya, Ashkharikian created the Helpful Hopeful Cause that provides aid, wound and additional care services for the individuals affected by the Route 91 mass shooting in Las Vegas.

As a contract lobbyist for the past 25 years, John Ek has represented private companies, public agencies and non-profits at the local, state and federal level. Prior to his lobbying experience, Ek served as an aide to Congressman Glenn M. Anderson during the Congressman's tenure as Chairman of the Public Works and Transportation Committee. Later, Ek served as the Federal Representative for the Southern California Rapid Transit District (RTD), the largest Mass Transit Agency in the United States, where he managed the federal legislative program. Building upon his government and transportation experience, Ek worked for the Air Transportation Association, a trade industry group for the United States airline industry. Ek used his knowledge of government, public policy and politics to pass legislation supporting the airline industry's growth in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Hawaii.

"We are honored to have these highly-regarded community and business leaders join our Board of Trustees," said Zoila D. Escobar, AltaMed Foundation Executive Director. "Their experience and expertise in the healthcare field is invaluable to AltaMed's mission of providing and expanding access to quality health care services to underserved communities."

To learn more about the AltaMed Foundation, visit: www.altamedfoundation.org or call 323-725-8751.

About AltaMed Health Services

Since its establishment in 1987, the AltaMed Foundation has raised more than $30 million to support AltaMed Health Services in its mission to increase access to comprehensive health and human services and reduce health care disparities in the communities of Southern California.