HRSA Region VI Workforce Workshop 
April 25, 2023, from 1:00-4:30 p.m. ET. | Register to attend

Dr. Luis Padilla is the Associate Administrator for Health Workforce at HRSA. He also serves as director of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC).

Dr. Padilla was appointed Associate Administrator for BHW in May 2016. Prior to joining BHW, he was senior health policy advisor to the CEO of Unity Health Care in Washington, D.C., a federally qualified health center network with over 100,000 patients. A committed advocate for the underserved, Dr. Padilla is a former NHSC Scholar who completed his service at Unity’s Upper Cardozo Health Center, where he also served as its medical director. He served on the National Advisory Council of the NHSC from 2007 to 2010.

A board certified family physician, Dr. Padilla received a bachelor of arts in philosophy and a bachelor of science in biology from the University of California at Irvine. He earned his medical degree from Wake Forest School of Medicine and completed his family medicine residency at Brown University.

Dr. Luis Padilla is the Associate Administrator for Health Workforce at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). He also serves as director of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC).

Jeff Jordan, MPH, Director, Division of Regional Operations, Bureau of Health Workforce, HRSA

Jeff Jordan has worked with HRSA for nineteen years. Prior to working for the federal government, Mr. Jordan worked for eight years at the Dallas County Health and Human Services as a public health planner and grants administrator. He obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in medical anthropology from Southern Methodist University, and a MPH from the University of Texas Houston School of Public Health. He currently resides in Dallas, Texas with his wife and two children.

Robert McKenna, PhD, MS, MCHES, Acting Regional Administrator (Region VI), Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, HRSA

Dr. McKenna has more than 30 years of experience managing, designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs and services in a variety of settings including non-profit and community-based organizations, hospitals, universities, and health departments. As the acting regional administrator for region 6 and the deputy regional administrator for region 3, he is responsible for developing strategic stakeholder partnerships; conducting public health surveillance; and providing leadership throughout the regions on HRSA’s mission. Among positions he held prior to joining HRSA in 2012, Rob was the department director of training and performance improvement at a non-profit organization. Additionally, Rob was a senior public health practice professor in Arcadia University’s community and global health programs for 15 years. Dr. McKenna holds a master of science in health education and a doctorate in training and performance improvement.

Jacqueline Rodrigue, CAPT (retired), MSW, Senior Advisor, Office of the Associate Administrator, Bureau of Health Workforce, HRSA

Jacqueline Rodrigue has nearly 30 years of experience in workforce diversity, cultural competency, stakeholder engagement, quality improvement, and behavioral health. In April 2022, CAPT (Ret.) Jacqueline Rodrigue retired from the United States Public Health Service after nearly 26 years. She recently transition to civil service as a Senior Advisor, where she provides strategic direction, coordination, and planning in support of BHW’s 40 programs that aim to recruit, educate, train, and retain a diverse health professions workforce in rural and underserved communities. CAPT Rodrigue coordinates sensitive, high priority cross-cutting agency priorities and emerging issues. She also engages stakeholder from across the department and other federal agencies, state agencies, regional partners, tribal sites, health care organizations, academic institutions and community-based stakeholders.

Sima Ladjevardian, JD, Regional Director (Region VI), HHS

Sima Ladjevardian serves as HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra’s representative responsible for guiding and coordinating HHS policy initiatives as they relate to state, local, and tribal governments.

Ms. Ladjevardian is a lawyer, a mother of two, a breast cancer survivor, a community and political activist. After leaving political upheaval and revolution, Sima’s family arrived in the United States and, through her journey as an immigrant, she saw first-hand the power and promise this country can provide. She has since worked extensively to ensure that hardworking families have all the opportunities to strive and be healthy. She was one of the first Iranian-American major party nominees for Congress. She ran in TX-2 on providing affordable access to health care for all. She was named one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2020-2021.

Ms. Ladjevardian holds a bachelor’s degree in business economics from University of California, Los Angeles, and a JD from Hastings College of Law.

Dr. Roxana Cruz has been providing clinical leadership to TACHC programs, education, member support, and advocacy since 2018.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in bacteriology and public health from Washington State University, and her medical degree from New York Medical College. Throughout her career, she has worked for and with underserved and vulnerable populations in the U.S. and internationally. Dr. Cruz is board certified in internal medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. She also holds a certificate in clinical tropical medicine and travelers’ health.

Prior to joining TACHC, Dr. Cruz served as the medical director for a hospital-owned non-profit organization, practicing and supervising three rural health centers in Greenville, Texas. In 2015, she was selected for the National Rural Health Association’s Rural Health Fellow program to articulate a clear and compelling vision for rural America. Additionally, she serves on various non-profit boards devoted to education and health equity.

Lisa D. Anaya, MA, Health Workforce Development Program Manager

Lisa D. Anaya supports health centers in implementing or enhancing health center-based clinical workforce development and training programs. She has over 25 years of experience managing professional development, higher education, and experiential learning programs for students and professionals. She has also served as an educator and administrator of programs for faculty, staff, and students, including one focused on addressing health disparities. Lisa earned a bachelor of arts in anthropology/sociology and Latin American studies from Colgate University, and a master of arts in bicultural bilingual studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Elmo Lopez, Jr. has 21 years of experience in healthcare clinic operations, hospital operations, management, and financial performance. As CEO of Gateway, a federally qualified health center, Mr. Lopez helped establish Laredo, Texas’s first residency program in collaboration with the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine and Laredo Medical Center.

Under Mr. Lopez’s leadership, Gateway has become accredited by The Joint Commission, established the Gateway Diabetes Institute, opened new clinics, and built a robust COVID-19 testing and vaccination effort. Most recently, he received the Laredo College President’s Community Leadership Award.

Mr. Lopez recently obtained his MBA from the Hankemer School of Business at Baylor University. He and his wife, Sara, have three children and two grandchildren.

Otila García, CHWI, Director of Health Education Training

Otila García has over 27 years of experience in the raising awareness about the prevention of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. She first joined Gateway as a health promoter. In this role, she combined her 16-year-career in education with knowledge in the healthcare field, thus developing a passion for health education.

In 2005, Mrs. García obtained her certification as community health worker instructor from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Currently, as the director of health education and training, she’s responsible for implementing new health education programs, developing health education guides and materials, providing instruction to promotores de salud/community health workers, and training Gateway staff on service excellence.

Meadow M. Hazelhoff is a licensed clinical social worker. She graduated with her bachelor of arts and master of social work from the University of Oklahoma. There, she was selected as the Outstanding Senior in the professional programs, was an Engineering Positive and Intentional Change (EPIC) scholar, and won the 2016 Anne and Henry Zarrow Social Justice Award. She has since worked as a behavioral health consultant in a community health center and as a trauma therapist at a trauma and abuse center. She was a field supervisor for both social work and counseling psychology students in their graduate internships for several years and is currently a clinical supervisor at a local community mental health center. Her personal mission is to support and facilitate increased access to high quality, easily accessible mental health care for the people of Oklahoma.

Lacy Tillman,, MBA, Health Professions Program Specialist

Lacy joined the Oklahoma Primary Care Association (OKPCA) in 2021. She develops trainings and provide technical assistance around workforce development, recruiting, grants management and emergency preparedness.

Lacy received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University, and a MBA in Healthcare Administration from Columbia Southern University.

Prior to joining OKPCA, Lacy led a rural community health center as a member of the senior administrative team before becoming the CEO of the center. During her time at the health center, she expanded services, and opened new centers including a rural school-based health center located on campus of the location school district.

Dr. Lanita S. White joined the Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. as Chief Executive Officer in 2022. She previously served at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Pharmacy as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, and Associate Professor in the UAMS College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice in Little Rock, Arkansas. Immediately prior to assuming the position of assistant dean, she was director of the UAMS 12th Street Health and Wellness Center.

Dr. White received a doctorate in pharmacy from Xavier University of Louisiana. Her research interests include social determinants of health and health literacy, and their impact on overall health and wellness. Dr. White also studies how interprofessional education and collaboration can improve the patient experience, improve population health, and reduce the cost of care and healthcare workforce pipeline creation and sustainability.

Dr. White has received numerous prestigious awards throughout her career. She is a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, a current board member of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association, a founding member of the Arkansas College of Clinical Pharmacy, a board member of the National Pharmaceutical Association, and a Past President of the Arkansas Association of Health-System Pharmacists. She also serves as President of the Arkansas Medical, Dental, and Pharmaceutical Association.

Erica Rose-Crawford is a Baton Rouge native with over 25 years of experience. In her current role, she helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 among Louisiana's underserved populations. She manages community health workers to help them target social and non-medical interventions that improve patients' health and social determinate needs. She also provides services that support patients in accessing care and maintaining their health. Ms. Rose-Crawford promotes intradepartmental collaboration to support high-risk populations, and leads efforts to ensure community health workers are part of the interdisciplinary team.

In addition to Dr. Justin Bala-Hampton’s current roles as senior advisor and acting branch chief, he is the Designated Federal Official and Interim Chair for the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice. During his time at HRSA, he has been involved with multiple committees and initiatives. He deployed to New England at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a lead HHS liaison officer for all New England states and tribes. Prior to working for HRSA, he was as a lead nurse practitioner at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He continues his clinical work part-time in infectious diseases.

Dr. Bala-Hampton served in the United States Air Force and is an Afghanistan veteran. He received a DNP from the University of Pittsburgh. He also earned a master’s degree in health administration from Texas A&M University-College Station, and a MPH from the Medical College of Georgia. He is a clinical oncology and infectious diseases fellow from the University of Texas MD Anderson and holds an adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner board certification. He holds certifications as both a critical care registered nurse and an advanced oncology nurse practitioner.

Paul Jung, CAPT, Director, Division of Medicine and Dentistry

CAPT Paul Jung is a career officer in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). CAPT Jung has held previous assignments at the Indian Health Service, Peace Corps, Office of the Surgeon General, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, House Energy and Commerce Committee, National Institutes of Health, and Food and Drug Administration. CAPT Jung chaired the Physicians Professional Advisory Committee of the USPHS for two terms. He graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, completed residencies in internal medicine at Case Western Reserve University and preventive medicine at Emory University, and earned his MPH as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at Johns Hopkins University. CAPT Jung is a fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine.

Anne Venner, Deputy Director, Division of Health Careers and Financial Support

In addition to her role as deputy director, Anne Venner also serves as the acting branch chief for the Nurse Corps Scholarship Branch. Prior to her current roles, she served as the deputy director for BHW’s Division of Regional Operations, where she led BHW teams across the 10 HHS regions and Puerto Rico. Ms. Venner joined HRSA in 2014 as the BHW regional operations supervisor for region 2. She previously worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for ten years as an associate director in Policy and Partnerships for the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, and as an associate director and health communications specialist in Policy for the Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects. Ms. Venner holds a master of arts in communications from Georgia State University and a bachelor of arts from the University of Kansas with a double major in human biology and sociology.

Israil Ali, MPA, Director, Division of National Health Service Corps

Israil Ali leads federal programs that connect the primary care health workforce to vulnerable communities. To date, there are over 20,000 NHSC primary medical, dental, and behavioral health providers, caring for over 21 million patients across the nation that are supported by his programs.

Over the past two decades, Mr. Ali has assumed various federal roles including deputy director of BHW’s Division of Health Careers and Financial Support; chief of the Nurse Corps loan repayment program. Prior to federal service, Mr. Ali served as community relations director at United Nursing Service, a home health agency in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He has dedicated his career to improving health outcomes in underserved communities by optimizing access to a quality health workforce.

In 2014, Israil was recognized as an outstanding alumni by his alma mater, Western Michigan University, for “outstanding contributions to public health and workforce development at the national level.” Mr. Ali has received the HRSA Administrator’s Special Citation Award twice. He received this award in 2015 for “outstanding contributions to the management of the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program activities” and in 2022 for “outstanding leadership of the NHSC during the nation’s public health emergency.”

Israil is a native of Detroit, Michigan, and received both his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary health services and master’s degree in public administration from Western Michigan University. Israil has also served as an adjunct professor, for the last 13 years, in the School of Community Health and Policy at Morgan State University.

Stacey Martinez, IT Specialist & Data Analyst, Project and Data Management Branch, Division of Business Operations

Stacey Martinez has 21 years of experience in information technology (IT) within the federal government. Her work includes developing web applications, leading enterprise-wide Section 508 efforts, managing an agency-wide cloud infrastructure, IT project management, and leading and supporting data analysis and visualization efforts. Stacey has a bachelor of science in mathematics and computer science from the Colorado School of Mines. Her experience also includes leading enterprise-wide web solutions, leading and supporting cyber security initiatives, and defining and maintaining agency-wide business processes. Stacey is a native Coloradan, a former collegiate athlete, and an avid sports fan.