About Us

Leslie Sandberg is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in for- and non-profit sectors. Her career has focused on managing large and complex organizations, building integrated scientific and research teams, mentorship, philanthropy, and ensuring quality and integrity in clinical research.

She currently serves as Board Chair for the California Health Collaborative and has been a Board member since 1995. She has held numerous leadership roles in most notably the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, AT&T, and the University of California Davis. She spearheaded a joint venture between the University and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and helped secure funding for a National Science Foundation (NSF) designated Center of Excellence, The Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology (CBST).

Leslie has a long history serving on multiple boards, including the External Advisory Board, Medical Technology Program and Biology and Biotechnology Research Program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. She served as CEO and Executive Director for the Institute for Telemedicine at the Center for the New West.  During her tenure, she chaired the Health Care Working Group of the National Information Infrastructure Testbed (NIIT), the nation’s first and largest member consortium of corporations, federal agencies, national laboratories and universities. This coalition collaborated in building the first nationwide telemedicine demonstration, held live before Congress in September 1994. She also testified before state and federal legislative bodies regarding the benefits of telemedicine and its practical applications. These efforts, combined with many others, ultimately helped transform the way in which healthcare and related services can be delivered and has proved essential COVID and to this day. 

Leslie holds an MBA from St. Mary’s College and a BA from the University of Arkansas.

Joan Werblun started her career in Pennsylvania then moved to UC Davis Medical Center in 1970 where she worked until her recent retirement. During her time with UC Davis, Joan was a diabetes specialist, developing patient education and care programs. She advanced diabetes management education for staff, medical students, and nursing students. Joan also developed education for Internal Medicine Residents to assist them in management of diabetes in the hospital setting, writing, and implementing policies and procedures, best practices in managing diabetes in the hospital setting, developing standards of care and developed community outreach programs in diabetes.

In 1995, Joan was appointed by Governor Wilson to lead an interdisciplinary team in creating Guidelines for the management for the State of California, which became the Diabetes Coalition of California. She has gone to Africa with a medical team to teach Diabetes Management to physicians and their patients in Nigeria and Ghana. Currently, Joan serves as the Board Chair of California Chronic Care and Board Vice Chair of California Health Collaborative.

She continues to serve as advisor to Valley Hi Health Tech, and other community organizations.

Tom brings more than four decades of leadership and service in healthcare, spanning both the private and nonprofit sectors. He has served as CEO of three different Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, and has founded multiple innovative healthcare companies, including of the first physician service quality management organizations, a pharmacy benefit management company, and an early interoperable healthcare management platform. Throughout his career, Tom has focused on expanding patient access to high-quality, affordable care , and advancing systems that improve outcomes for patients and healthcare professionals.

His commitment to community health and equity began early and has remained a constant throughout his life. As an undergraduate at the University of Alabama, Tom received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award in recognition of his work in helping to launch Head Start programs, starting and managing high school mentoring programs across multiracial barriers, and participating in voter registration programs in rural Alabama. He has since supported and partnered with numerous nonprofit programs addressing public education, public health, workplace inequities, developmental disabilities, and consumer health education.

Tom earned a BA in American Studies from the University of Alabama and a JD from the University of North Carolina where he focused on healthcare law. He has contributed nationally to health policy and reform efforts as an analyst for Common Cause in Washington,DC, as a member of the Jackson Hole Group, and as a cofounder of the Center for the New West in Denver, Colorado. Early in his career , he served in the U.S. Army as a strategic intelligence officer, working on advanced communications and cybersecurity technologies to enhance soldier safety and effectiveness in combat. Tom, and his wife Cynthia, are proud Californians and reside in Los Angeles.

Eric Gold, now retired, was a California attorney, specializing in healthcare law. Over the years, he represented managed care organizations, physician groups, hospitals, as well as nonprofit organizations. Prior to establishing his law practice, he was appointed by the California Senate to serve on the California Medical Assistance Commission. This Commission determined which hospitals would serve Medi-Cal recipients and negotiated the terms and conditions of the contracts.

Dr. Rob Oldham currently serves as director of Placer County Health and Human Services as well as serving as the county’s interim health officer and chief psychiatrist. Rob previously served as Placer’s health officer, medical director, and director of Public Health from 2014-2019, and was called to return to the county during the COVID-19 pandemic after serving as chief medical executive for Sutter Center for Psychiatry in Sacramento and as medical director of acute psychiatric services across the Sutter Health system in California and Hawaii. He also previously served as health officer and medical director for Fresno County. Rob received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia, a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Alabama School of Medicine and a Master of Science in health administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he also completed his residencies in general psychiatry and preventive medicine/public health. He is board-certified in general psychiatry, general preventive medicine/public health, consultation-liaison psychiatry, and medical quality. He is also a past president of the California Conference of Local Health Officers and the California Academy of Preventive Medicine, past chair of the California Medical Association’s Council on Science and Public Health and the California Behavioral Health Directors Association’s Medical Services System of Care, and currently serves on the board of the California Medical Association, the California Health Collaborative, Healthy Rural California, Western Sierra Medical Clinic, the Homeless Resource Council of the Sierra, the Health Officers’ Association of California, and the Placer Nevada County Medical Society. Rob lives in Roseville with his wife and their four daughters.

Patricia Tanquary has more than 45 years of healthcare leadership of hospitals, health plans and third-party administrator (TPA) experience with significant involvement in health advocacy, planning, policy development, implementation and operations administration.

A former social worker, she has developed a strong, collaborative style in multiple settings and worked with community agencies, federally qualified health centers (FQHC) and county clinics to improve collaboration, integration and continuity of healthcare primarily in California.

Most recently, she was CEO of Contra Costa Health Plan in the ninth largest county in California with the oldest government sponsored federally qualified health plan in the state. In supporting the Affordable Care Act both in Medi-Cal and in Covered CA, the plan doubled in size in less than two years. 

Under her leadership, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) (Tapestry) electronic health records systems were implemented with the county health department to improve information technology linkage of patient information.

Her other achievements include developing a special needs plan for dual-eligible enrollees, providing commercial insurance for county employees and Children’s Health Insurance Program, and working with Applied Information Management and in-home supportive services workers. She also co-developed a primary care program for the uninsured with community FQHC partners and served as the TPA for that program. She in-sourced the low-moderate mental health benefit into the county mental health department and operated this benefit with other county intra-divisional management teams under the county board of supervisors.

Patricia supported the development of the Whole Person Care Waiver and the Drug Medi-Cal Waiver in Contra Costa County to maintain linkages with the health plan membership as well as transitioned the Medi-Cal Autism benefit from the regional centers into the health plan and contracted with 136 Applied Behavior Analysis providers to provide care.

Patricia previously spent 18 years in management with Kaiser Permanente both in California and nationally. She served as hospital and health plan administrator for Kaiser hospital in San Rafael with clinics in Novato and Petaluma. She also served as director of member services and as continuing care leader where she initiated case management teams for high-risk populations including geriatric nurse practitioners in contracted skilled nursing facilities. Her national experience includes serving as director of national provider contracting for Kaiser Regions where she implemented national contracts which could also meet local needs.

Patricia has also served as the associate administrator for French Hospital and Health Plan helping them to implement one of the first four CMS Medicare Risk Demonstration Projects. Earlier in her career, she taught social work and health courses and managed the undergraduate social work internship program at San Diego State University. She worked as a social worker in hospital, home health and skilled nursing settings where she developed the first rape emergency assistance hotline in San Diego as well as co-led a cancer support group for patients and family members.

Patricia earned a Ph.D. in social welfare and Master of Public Health from the University of California Berkeley as well as a Master of Social Work and bachelor’s degree in social welfare from San Diego State University.

Dr. Jeannine S. McCune, PhD, PharmD has been a Professor at the Beckman Research Institute within City of Hope in Los Angeles, CA since 2017.  She is also an Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington and Affiliate Investigator at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, where she served upon their faculty since 1998.  Dr. McCune has received several major National Institutes of Health grants for her research on the clinical pharmacokinetics of anticancer agents, with the goal of improving survival rates by identifying biomarkers predictive of treatment response.  She has over 130 publications and she has also served as a member of multiple NIH study sections and is a member of Children’s Oncology Group. In her personal time, she also volunteers with nonprofits focusing upon social justice and dyslexia.

Dr. Eckroth-Bernard is double board certified in general and vascular surgery. Dr. Eckroth-Bernard has been in practice for eight years as a vascular surgeon and is an alum of the UCSF Fresno Surgery Residency Program. Dr. Eckroth-Bernard’s clinical interests reside in the realm of complex endovascular and open arterial reconstruction. He is dedicated to his patients and realizes the importance of increasing underrepresented minority physicians will greatly improve patient care in the Central Valley. The UCSF Pre-Medical Surgical Internship provides an opportunity to partner with our local universities to help introduce, mentor and guide the future physicians in the Central Valley.

Evi Hernandez has dedicated nearly three decades to public health, including 25 years in the nonprofit sector with the California Health Collaborative (CHC). His extensive experience spans tobacco control, alcohol and other drug prevention, teen pregnancy prevention, tobacco-related research, youth development, and chronic disease prevention and management. He currently serves as Senior Director of Programs at CHC and is actively involved in health initiatives and community service and volunteer organizations throughout California. Evi holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Chicano/Latino Studies, both from California State University, Fresno.

Since joining CHC in April 2001, Evi has provided leadership and oversight for a broad portfolio of grant-funded programs supported by the California Department of Public Health, California Department of Health Care Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local First 5 commissions, regional and local foundations, and county government agencies throughout California.

Through his leadership, Evi has helped advance CHC’s mission while strengthening its ability to develop responsive, community-centered programs that improve health outcomes and address health disparities across California.

He has played a key role in strengthening and expanding CHC’s organizational capacity and impact. His contributions include expanding the organization’s funding portfolio to encompass new and innovative program areas and funders; extending CHC’s presence and services into outlying regions of the state; developing protocols and policies that have enhanced the workplace environment and organizational culture; and establishing systems and processes that have improved operational efficiency and program effectiveness.
In his spare time, Evi enjoys spending quality time with his family, fishing in local rivers and lakes, experimenting with growing a variety of plants and crops, and cheering on his favorite sports teams.

Teresa Ogan, LCSW, completed her Master of Social Work at Sacramento State University and has over 30 years of experience in social services having worked with children with special needs, in a wraparound program for children/youth and their families in or at risk of out-of-home placement, and with older adults, caregivers and family members.
Teresa serves or has served on a variety of boards and commissions including as President of the Multipurpose Senior Services Program Association Executive Committee, the Sacramento County Adult and Aging Commission, Chair of the Yolo/Sutter Aging and Disability Resource Connection Advisory Board, a member of the Sacramento County Aging and Disability Resource Connection Advisory Board, the California Chronic Care Coalition Advisory Board, American River College Gerontology Advisory Committee, the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity Advisory Committee, and the UC Davis Latino Health Community Advisory Board.

Teresa has been married to her partner for over 20 years and enjoys time with her pets, playing pickleball, and road trips.

Clara Omogbai, DrPH, MPH, MLS has been with CHC since 2013 and serving as a Program Director for the Every Woman Counts ( EWC) program since 2020, has a diverse and unique professional and educational background which consists of both international and local experience in public health practice.

Clara started working with underserved populations as a teenager in Ibadan, Nigeria during her undergraduate program at the University of Ibadan – when her team implemented and developed a project (The African Child Foundation) for at-risk youths/children (street children) in Ibadan. After these undergraduate studies, Clara worked with the Ogun State Government Emergency Relief Agency in Nigeria and visited war sites to assess community needs and strategized the distribution of relief materials to victims displaced by war.

In addition, Clara has worked directly with HIV/AIDS individuals – provided counseling and organized support groups.  She has managed a nationwide train the trainer program on HIV/AIDS for heterosexual African American women through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Clara has conducted research and published research papers on HIV/AIDS among different populations. Clara’s most current professional experience and research focus is as the Chair of the Statewide Committee on breast cancer disparities among historically marginalized populations, health equity, and women’s health.

Monika serves as a Director of Program Services for the California Health Collaborative in Southern CA and has been with the organization since 2018. She currently provides oversight to the San Bernardino County Tobacco Control Program, Kings County Tobacco Control Program, Black Infant Health Program, and other projects throughout the region. Monika has also previously worked for the Alameda County Department of Public Health providing technical assistance to their Public Health Commission and assisting with the department’s health equity projects. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and Spanish from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Biostatistics and Epidemiology from the University of Southern California, and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree with a concentration in Leadership and Management from Claremont Graduate University.

Katherine “Katie” Moose currently serves as a Director of Program Services for the California Health Collaborative and has been with the organization since 2019. She provides oversight to grant-funded programs focused on tobacco prevention, transportation equity, workforce development, community engagement, and public health research. Katie has spent more than 14 years working in public health, evaluation, and community-based programs, with a focus on policy, systems, and environmental change. She has worked alongside young people, rural communities, firefighters, public agencies, and community partners to elevate local priorities and turn community input into practical action. Katie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California State University, Stanislaus and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego.

Jennifer Acidera is a Director of Program Services in the Central Valley region and has been with the organization since 2016. She is the proud daughter of Mexican and Filipino immigrants who greatly influenced her passion to serve underserved communities and build her profession in the public health field. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Fresno State. Jennifer has had over 10 years of experience in implementing health, wellness and prevention programs. She has had the opportunity to work alongside various teams and young people to improve access to STI testing and treatment, identifying resources for farmworker and high need communities in Kings County, and promote health through tobacco-related policies to decrease exposure and access to tobacco products with health equity lens.

Daisy Lopez is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrant parents and currently serves as Senior Director of Program Services in the Central Valley region. Rooted in culture, service, and community, Daisy works alongside 11 teams to advance sexual and reproductive health rights, promote health through tobacco control policies, engage youth in healing-centered substance use disorder prevention, enhance youth mental wellness through culturally centered practices, and create equitable access to the outdoors. Daisy has dedicated the last 17 years of her career to advancing health equity and social justice through policy, systems and environmental change efforts where she’s worked alongside hundreds of young people and community residents to elevate local stories and advance community healing. She holds three degrees from Fresno Pacific University, including a Bachelor of Arts in Restorative Justice, a Master of Arts in Leadership Studies and a Master of Arts in School Counseling with an active Pupil Personnel Services credential.