Ricardo V. Lopez, MPH, CHES
Disease Management Program Educator
Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA USA
“I realized that in challenging situations, if I was the first one to say no, then I would be the first one to lose.”
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
Graduating undergraduate and graduate school despite of being undocumented. In the late 90's & 2000s there was no formal support to help undocumented students succeed in the higher education system.
Family first. Prioritizing a healthy work-life balance.
First-generation and first in my family to obtain an associates, undergraduate, and Master level education.
Having chosen to major and study STEM has provided a strong foundation for critical thinking and outside-the-box thinking.
Learned value of starting and working things from scratch, and the importance of having to trail-blaze to succeed.
Learning early on the importance of empathy, humility, and proactive-assertive advocacy.
Work and thrive in multi-disciplinary fields and environments.
Giving back, realizing privileges, and looking out for others.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Orange High School
Orange High School
Graduate
MPH in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
California State University, Fullerton
MPH in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
California State University, Fullerton
Certification/License
Certified Health Education Specialist
National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc
Certified Health Education Specialist
National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc
Certification/License
Master Trainer
Stanford University, Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
Master Trainer
Stanford University, Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
Certification/License
Master Trainer
Stanford University, Tomando Control de Su Salud
Master Trainer
Stanford University, Tomando Control de Su Salud
Certification/License
Master Trainer
Stanford University, Diabetes Self-Management Program
Master Trainer
Stanford University, Diabetes Self-Management Program
Career
Disease Management Program Educator
I aid patients with chronic diseases, helping them understand their illness and how they can stabilize their health.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Science
Medicine
Helping People
Day to Day
A typical day at work consists of multiple one-on-one disease management education sessions with people that have multiple chronic conditions. In these sessions, I help them learn how to manage their conditions / augment quality of life via the application of mechanism like Motivational Interviewing. I am also a key member of multi-disciplinary team collaborations (including pharmacists, nurses, and doctors) that identify / implement person-centered health care strategies.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
When you first start off: Do not be afraid to make mistakes / Go towards the projects and positions that will challenge you and enable the learning of skills you don't posses / Always negotiate your salary / benefits, but augment your skills so you have something to leverage / Be objective and assertive, but be open to learning / Network, not just so you get something out of it, but to create a community of people that will positively impact the word. Always practice public speaking.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Graduate
MPH in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
MPH in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Certification/License
Certified Health Education Specialist
Certified Health Education Specialist
Certification/License
Master Trainer
Master Trainer
Certification/License
Master Trainer
Master Trainer
Certification/License
Master Trainer
Master Trainer
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"You're an immigrant and undocumented; you have no place in this society and institutional structures will limit your success. "
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
First-Generation Immigrant
Interviewed By
Anonymous Student
Student at CSUF
