California Legislative Women’s Caucus Annual “Woman of the Year” Ceremony
(SACRAMENTO, CA) Today, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) recognized Coachella Valley resident and longtime healthcare champion, Lucy Moreno as the 56th Assembly District’s 2018 Woman of the Year recipient.
Ms. Moreno serves as the Community Engagement Program Manager for the Department of Government and Community Affairs at Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo. In this position, she oversees program grants as well as coordinates a staff of twelve Health Navigators who provide education, enrollment, outreach and community health resources for Imperial and Riverside Counties.
“Lucy Moreno is a force to be reckoned with, her exemplary leadership, unmatched passion and nearly three-decade-long career of healthcare advocacy distinguished her as a clear choice for this year’s ‘Woman of the Year’ recipient,” stated Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia. “Rising healthcare costs and barriers to attaining quality care is one of the most pressing issues facing Californians; particularly in the rural, disadvantaged areas, I represent. Not only does Lucy Moreno work every day to bridge that disparity but she is instrumental in bringing Los Médicos Voladores, the ‘Flying Doctors’ free medical clinic to Thermal. Twice a year, this event provides critical healthcare services to hundreds, upon hundreds of uninsured children and families.”
The Eastern Coachella Valley, located in the heart of the 56th Assembly District, is home to the only location in the United States that is visited by the Flying Doctors. The Flying Doctors is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization that aims to improve the health and well-being of geographically diverse peoples through high-quality medical, dental, and optometry clinics.
Garcia continued, “Lucy has played a significant role increasing resources and creating a more equitable landscape to address regional health disparities. We are very fortunate to have this avid healthcare champion at work improving healthcare access, and the overall prosperity of our community.”
As part of Women’s History Month, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus sponsors an annual “Woman of the Year” celebration at the Sacramento, State Capitol. This afternoon, Ms. Moreno joined other acclaimed honorees from across the state.
“I am honored to be recognized for doing what I love - it’s not something that I ever expected. Through Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo and Los Médicos Voladores, I am blessed with the opportunity to touch base with the community, whom I admire. Working with these partners, aligning our goals to improve community health all while instilling hope and empowering local youth as our next generation of leaders,” shared an impassioned Lucy Moreno. “I am so grateful to Assemblymember Garcia for the privilege of representing the district. It was humbling to be surrounded by so many women warriors from across the state. I will never forget this experience; it has given me much more motivation to continue promoting equity and dignity to ensure that more families can lead happy and healthy lives.”
Born in Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico, Lucy Moreno immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of five. She grew up in San Diego, California, raised by her single mom and three siblings. 26 years ago, Lucy moved and settled deep roots within the Coachella Valley. She is a single mother of three girls and a grandmother of two boys and two girls.
Lucy Moreno’s passion, focus, and background revolve around community health, environmental health, healthcare access, prevention services and the furtherance of equitable health policy for disadvantaged, underserved populations. She firmly believes in the importance of engaging and empowering students by creating opportunities for youth leadership roles and through grassroots community based and youth-led activities.
