2023 LMSA West Regional Conference

Elizabeth Valencia, MD, JD, FCLM

Elizabeth Valencia, MD, JD, FCLM, serves on the Board of Governors for the American College of Legal Medicine, the Board of Governors for SIU School of Medicine, AMA Minority Affairs -Chair of Engagement, Wellness Equity Leadership Scholar, National Hispanic Medical Association Leadership Scholar, Health Policy Dunn Fellow for Governor of Illinois, and recipient of Illinois Women’s Bar Foundation Service Award.

Dr. Valencia set the tone of the conference by speaking about her journey in medicine. As a daughter of migrant farmworkers, she faced an uphill battle from the beginning. Despite the discouraging remarks from those around her. She worked her way up from high school, junior college, and undergraduate school, not only to medical school but also to law school. She emphasized the importance of using our collective power to change our barrios and our communities, and bring the next generation of Latinos with us.

Omar Guzman, MD

Omar Guzman, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician, born and raised in Visalia, Calif. He is a faculty member for the Kaweah Health emergency medicine residency program and is the director of undergraduate medical education at Kaweah Delta Health Care District. He participated throughout the conference, speaking on his passion for addressing the social determinants of health through community engagement and advocacy. Encouraging our attendees to push boundaries in their respective roles no matter where they end up in medicine.

Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D.

Dr. Goeppinger President and Chief Executive Officer of Midwestern University. She spoke on her initiatives to support and increase diversity across the 2 Midwestern Campuses, Downers Grove, IL and Glendale, AZ.

Lorenzo Antonio González, MD, MPL

La Huelga: How Resident Physicians are Changing Healthcare Throughout the Nation

Lorenzo Antonio Gonzalez is the National President of the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR-SEIU), the largest physician labor union representing training physicians and fellows throughout the country.

Lorenzo spoke on the importance of unions in medicine. Encouraging students to reflect on how our altruism and passion to serve our community is weaponized by hospital CEOs. Pushing us to see “just one more patient”, rounding down our hours, and convincing medical residents that this system of oppression is how we earn our rightful place in medicine. He urged that we consider what is truly best for ourselves AND our patients. In what other field is it acceptable to work in life-and-death situations with minimal sleep? How can a sleep-deprived resident, who is struggling to support their family, truly do what is best for our patients and ourselves?

Unionization harnesses our collective power to make momental changes in our workplace and in the lives of our patients.

Follow CIR-SEIU on Instagram for more information.

Alfredo Guerreo, DO

Public Policy and Health Equity

Dr. Alfredo Guerreo is an Emergency Medicine physician with a passion for advocacy and health equity. Currently undergoing an administrative fellowship with an emphasis on operationalizing health equity strategies. He spoke on how structural racism impacts us and our patients. Emphasizing how the importance of addressing the root cause of health inequities to truly make an impact on the lives of our patients.

Adalberto L. Renteria, MD

Road to Residency

Dr. Renteria came to Napa Valley, California when he was seven years old, immigrating with family from Jalisco, Mexico in 1961. He grew up working in the wine grape fields of Rutherford, California, where his father managed a vineyard that produced world-recognized wines. He received his MD from the University of California School of Medicine in Los Angeles in 1987. He completed his internship and Residency in Family Practice at UCLA affiliated Hospitals. In 2008 he completed Dr. Andrew Weil’s Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Dr. Renteria has over thirty years of experience as a Medical Administrator and Clinical Educator. He has held positions as Chief of staff, Medical Director, and Clinical Professor/Instructor in environments including Community Health Centers, Ambulatory Commercial Systems, Hospital Commercial Systems, Academic Training Programs, and Native American Health Systems in the United States. His teaching appointments have included multiple Medical Schools; U.C. San Francisco, Stanford University, U.C. Davis, the University of Arizona, and the Arizona School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine teaching programs, which included Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, Medical Student, and Resident students. Currently, he is the Medical Director for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona.