Addressing the needs of Washington’s Latinx communities
Rogelio has devoted his career to expanding access to quality and affordable health care, especially for Latinx communities. He was one of the founders of Sea Mar Community Health Centers, and has since expanded the organization from one location in King County, Washington, to 11 counties across the state. The centers’ mission is to provide quality, comprehensive health, human and housing services to diverse communities, specializing in services to Latino families. Their services include not only affordable health care but also employment training, scholarships and youth internship programs.
Additionally, Rogelio oversaw a collaborative effort between Sea Mar, Swedish and the UW to develop the first community family practice residency program. The program addresses the provider shortage in community health centers by attracting and graduating high-quality family medicine residents who will continue to work with underserved populations. Rogelio, the son of migrant farmworkers, also heads a scholarship program in partnership with the UW, recruiting and mentoring students who are also the children of migrant farmworkers.
Affiliations: President and CEO, Sea Mar Community Health Centers; Chair, UW Board of Regents for 2020-21