Get to Know Us

Leadership

Donald Blanchon

Interim Executive Director

Donald Blanchon assumed the role of La Clínica’s Interim Executive Director, effective January 1, 2024. With over 3 decades of experience in health systems, he is the longtime former CEO of Whitman-Walker Health, an FQHC and leader in LGBTQ care and advocacy.

Suyanna Linhales Barker

Chief of Programs and Community Services

Prior to serving as La Clínica’s Chief Program Officer, Dr. Linhales Barker served as La Clínica’s Senior Director of Health Equity and Community Action. Dr. Linhales Barker has always believed that healthcare is a fundamental human right and has focused her career on ending health disparities related to poverty and discrimination. As the Chief of Programs and Community Services, she is responsible for overseeing the design, implementation and evaluation of programs that are culturally and linguistically grounded. In 2015, Dr. Linhales Barker was awarded the Distinguished Community Advocate Award by the District of Columbia Primary Care Association. She holds a Doctorate in Public Health from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and a Master’s Degree in Social Psychology from the State University in Rio de Janeiro.

Carlos Plazas

Chief Financial Officer + Chief Operations Officer

Carlos comes to La Clínica directly from Planned Parenthood of Maryland, where for the past nine-plus years he served as its Vice President of Finance, and for the past 6.5 years, also in the role of COO. Previously, he served as the Director of Finance at Chase Brexton, a Maryland non-profit medical center which serves 40,000 patients annually. Carlos received his master’s degree in accounting and business from Towson University. He also serves on the boards of IPAS, Southeast Community Development Corporation and the Baltimore Convention & Tourism. Carlos enjoys cooking, watching futbol (soccer), and spending time with his four daughters, two in middle school and two of the furry variety.

Ricardo Fernandez

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Fernandez has spent the majority of his career as a physician working with underserved communities in Washington, D.C. Before accepting the position of Chief Medical Officer, he served as a volunteer physician with La Clínica for more than ten years and provided organizational leadership as a board member. Dr. Fernandez is committed to providing high-quality medical care with a focus on those patients and communities most in need. He received his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin, and completed a residency in internal medicine at the George Washington University Medical Center. Dr. Fernandez currently holds faculty appointments at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

Rachel Meyn Ugarte

Chief Development Officer

Ms. Ugarte has spent the past 15 years working in development and communications at non-profits serving Latino communities in Guatemala, California, and Washington D.C. As La Clínica’s Chief Development Officer, Ms. Ugarte has substantially grown La Clínica’s individual and corporate revenue, has led a highly successful grants and contracts unit, and is responsible for leading a re-branding of La Clínica that has resulted in higher visibility. Ms. Ugarte earned a Master’s in International Development Management from American University, and a Bachelor’s from University California at Santa Cruz in Community Studies and Film & Digital Media.

Michaela Lindahl-Ackerman

Interim Chief Health Officer

Ms. Lindahl is a registered nurse (RN) with over 20 years’ leadership experience in clinical operations, public health, strategic and tactical planning, program management, and quality/process improvement both domestically and internationally. As Interim Chief Health Officer, Ms. Lindahl oversees Operations, Clinical Services, Primary Care, Behavioral and Mental Health, and Nursing and Care Management. Ms. Lindahl grounds her work in an equity lens and brings expertise in a systems approach to clinical operations. She began her work in healthcare as a Program Manager to Promotoras de Salud in rural Oregon. Since then, with a focus on populations made vulnerable and marginalized, she has paired her primary care nursing experience with operational expertise to lead clinical operations at large FQHCs and non-profit health organizations. Ms. Lindahl is the Managing Principal Consultant at Michaela Lindahl & Associates where she provides executive level services to healthcare agencies and organizations, including interim leadership, operational, organizational, and clinical efficacy support. From Kabul to Geneva, she’s consulted with far-reaching organizations such as Jhpiego, Planned Parenthood and the World Health Organization. She’s held adjunct faculty positions at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and University of Maryland School of Nursing where she teaches future public health nurses the challenges in addressing health system issues for underserved populations. She holds a Masters of Public Health in International Health from Oregon State University and a Masters in Science of Nursing from the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

Jessica Clough

Director of Clinical Services

Mrs. Jessica Clough joined us in March 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She leads the Patient Services Department at La Clínica del Pueblo. With over 15 years of experience in healthcare, she brings a wealth of expertise to her role and ensures seamless clinical operations and a dedicated clinical team. Her educational background includes a medical assistant certification and a Psychology degree from Florida International University. Jessica’s journey includes roles in non-profit and private sector organizations specializing in cardiology, gastroenterology, primary care, and supporting people with eating disorders and substance use as a Recovery Coach. Her experience reflects her belief in fostering an inclusive and positive work environment, teamwork, and advocacy for diversity, inclusion, and reproductive rights. Jessica understands the challenges front-line staff face as they support patients navigating the healthcare system, allowing her to mentor and coach through professional development. Proud of her Latina heritage, Jessica is dedicated to excellence, and through her leadership, La Clínica del Pueblo thrives as a beacon of inclusive and compassionate healthcare services. Her passion is shown in her continuous efforts to uphold our mission and positively impact the lives of those she serves.

Manuel Diaz-Ramirez

Community Health Action Department Director

Mr. Diaz-Ramirez oversees the community health programs and activities developed by La Clínica del Pueblo to ensure that efficient and quality community-focused services are provided. As the Community Health Action Department Director, he assesses health needs within the community as a whole, and develops strategies grounded in public health and community mobilization to address these needs at the individual, family, group, community, or structural level as appropriate. Prior to 2018, he served as La Clínica’s LGBTQ Health Program Manager. Mr. Diaz-Ramirez holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and is licensed in Psychology from the Universidad Ricardo Palma in Lima, Peru.

Heathyr Langdon

Finance Director

Ms. Langdon brings over 20 years experience in financial and operational management roles in a variety of industries, most recently in locally based non-profit healthcare. Prior to joining LCDP, she worked for both local and internationally based organizations developing complex budgets, initiating/monitoring process improvements, and building forecasting models. Her strengths include budget planning leadership, strategic and financial planning, financial management, and financial and operational reporting. Ms. Langdon has a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Loyola University Maryland and Bachelor of Science in Management from Towson University.

Angie Castro

Director of Mental Health and Substance Use Services

Ms. Castro Moreno is a bilingual, Independent Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over ten years of experience providing culturally responsive trauma-informed mental health services to minorities. Before her current role, Ms. Castro Moreno oversaw all mental health services offered by La Clinica in DC and MD, provided clinical care coordination services for the substance use program Volviendo a Vivir, and provided mental health services for the school-based mental health program Mi Refugio. Before joining la Clinica while living in Florida, she worked as a crisis line counselor; case manager; mental health provider for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking; and HIV grant coordinator for an LGBTQ program. Ms. Castro Moreno obtained her bachelor's in social work and master's in Clinical Social Work from Florida International University in Miami, Florida. She is a current fellow of the National Hispanic and Latino Executive Leadership and Fellowship program from the National Latino Behavioral Health Association.

Lisette Sanchez

Senior Director of Human Resources

Ms. Sanchez has over twenty years of solid human resources experience. Eleven of those years were in the non-profit sector focusing on Community Mental Health Centers, Child Welfare Agencies, and Federally Qualified Health Center. Ms. Sanchez serves as an integral part of the leadership team and head of human resources. Ms. Sanchez excels at providing a productive workforce culture that honors and represents the mission of the agency. Her strengths include employee relations, policy writing, and compliance. Ms. Sanchez has a Master’s in Business Administration from the George Washington University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami.

Rodrigo Stein

Director of Health Equity and Strategic Community Partnerships

Mr. Stein joined La Clinica in 2016 as its Health Promotion Manager. Utilizing a host of environmental and culturally appropriate strategies, he designed and implemented programs and initiatives aimed at reducing the incidence of chronic diseases for the Latino immigrant community. Before La Clinica, he was selected as a Global Health Corps Fellow with The Grassroot Project, where he advanced health equity in the District of Columbia by using sports to reimagine health education in middle schools. He also supported youth development in his roles at Manchester United Soccer Schools and the Manchester United Foundation in the U.K. In his current role, Mr. Stein will be establishing our Health Equity and Strategic Community Partnerships Department with a focus on leading programs to address language barriers, engage community participation for program development and advocacy, and promote meaningful collaboration across sectors by strengthening local partnerships. Mr. Stein earned his Masters of Science in Sociology of Sport from Loughborough University, U.K., and a Bachelors of Arts in History and Political Science from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.

Divya Moolchandani

Compliance Officer

Ms. Moolchandani is an experienced compliance and risk management professional and leads La Clinica’s comprehensive program to conduct operations and activities ethically, with the highest level of integrity, and in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Throughout her career, she has led projects that provide policy-based insights, programmatic guidance, and the internal audit function for addressing enterprise-wide risk, with specialized focus in revenue cycle, quality-focused reimbursement models, and corporate compliance infrastructure. Ms. Moolchandani holds a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Corporate Compliance and Master of Health Administration from George Washington University, a Bachelor of Art’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and is Certified in Healthcare Compliance. She is also an adjunct professor at George Washington University.

Hilda Mah’moud

Controller

Ms. Mah’moud has more than 23 years of service in the nonprofit sector meeting the health needs of underserved communities. 21 of those years have been with La Clinica. Prior to joining La Clinica, she worked for 10 years as an accountant and auditor with various organizations in Ghana. In her current position, she has served as the principal lead in establishing and maintaining the financial framework of the organization. Ms. Mah’moud has worked throughout her career ensuring compliance with controls, providing strong leadership in the accounting, and reporting of financial operations. Overseeing the Finance department of La Clinica. Her strengths include strong organizational skills, leadership, and attention to detail. Ms. Mah’moud holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Strayer University. CPA certification with the State of Delaware, she is licensed to practice with the State of Maryland.

Melissa Mariñelarena

Director of Nursing, Quality, and Population Health

Ms. Mariñelarena is responsible for developing and implementing the clinical quality and population health program. She also oversees the nursing and care management program designed to produce improved health outcomes. Ms. Mariñelarena brings over 19 years of clinical expertise, measurement science, and healthcare policy. Before joining La Clinica del Pueblo, Ms. Mariñelarena co-founded a healthcare quality consulting company focused on quality improvement and healthcare policy and has led multiple teams on federal government contracts related to quality measures and public-reporting and performance-based payment programs. She has also cared for diverse patient populations in various settings, such as a community hospital in Arlington, VA, and hospitals in southern California. Ms. Mariñelarena has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master's in Public Administration, both from George Mason University, and she is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ).