Juan is excited to support Project Access NOW’s mission to create access to whole person care and social services. His passion for serving on the board stems from his lived experience as an undocumented immigrant with barriers to care, and from his professional career supporting access to healthcare for underserved populations.
After immigrating to Oregon as a child, Juan grew up in Hillsboro before earning a position through the Knight Cancer Institute’s CURE internship program exposing him to the healthcare field. From there, Juan went off to earn an undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon before completing his master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Washington. While many of his colleagues went off to work at large hospitals, Juan returned home to work in the Federally-Qualified Health Center world.
Juan believes that while the care that happens inside the exam room is important, the care and social support that happens after the visit is just as critical. He hopes to leverage his experience in medical operations within FQHCs to continue to work towards a future in which healthcare, in all its forms, is accessible to all who need it.
In his spare time, Juan enjoys fishing, reading, traveling, and spending time with his family.
