Meet TCC’s Chief Executive Officer

Elisa Nicholas MD, MSPH, Chief Executive Officer

For over 26 years, Dr. Nicholas has advocated for health care for the underserved in the local, state and national context as a leader of TCC. Dr. Nicholas has taken what was once a small, mostly volunteer-run clinic serving only children in Long Beach, California to an innovative and progressive system of nine community health centers that provide comprehensive health care services to all ages throughout greater Long Beach, including locations serving unique populations, like the Multi-Service Center for the Homeless. In addition to her role as CEO of TCC, Dr. Nicholas founded and developed several organizations in Southern California that address diverse client issues through improved housing, community health worker interventions, physician training, policy and advocacy work for cleaner air, and better access to health care. As a pediatrician, she continues to advocate for services for the disabled and is designing transitional programs for these individuals. Addressing not only the individual health issues of patients, but also the social determinants of health, Dr. Nicholas’ long-term passionate commitment to helping children and their families to lead healthier and happier lives and experience success has driven pioneering work in the area of chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, obesity, and most recently trauma, toxic stress and adverse childhood events.

Meet TCC’s Executive Staff

L. Jina Lee Lawler, MSW, Chief Operating Officer

Ms. Lawler is responsible for all aspects of day-to-day TCC Operations, including services, program implementation, IT and facilities of the organization in accordance with the organization-approved policies, strategic plans, decisions and directives. Recently, she led the implementation and training of the EPIC Electronic Health Records system at TCC. She also has worked extensively with Mental Health America and Northeast Valley Health Corporation as a project leader to establish the Homeless Innovation Program and other resources for the homeless, including case management on mental and chronic illness. Prior to her position at TCC, she was the founding Executive Director of Moloka’i Ohana Health Care, Inc., a Federally Qualified Health Center in Hawaii. She has also worked at the American Academy of Pediatrics, providing technical assistance to pediatricians and other health professionals interested in increasing access to child health initiatives. In addition, her professional experience includes creating a thriving outpatient community health center while developing multiple social service programs for a multi-cultural population in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Ms. Lawler’s educational background includes a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She received her License in Clinical Social Work in 1997, and has over 15 years of experience in health care systems, budgeting, program development, non-profit health care management, community development, and working with underinsured and insured populations both at the local and national level.

Maria Chandler, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer

A graduate of the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine and Pediatric Residency Training Program, Dr. Chandler has served for nearly 24 years at TCC. She is a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. As the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Chandler supervises the daily medical activities and growth of TCC under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer to provide quality comprehensive health care services, including homeless health, women’s health, and behavioral health. Dr. Chandler has newly implemented and expanded the

Behavioral Health Program at TCC with an extensive focus on resources and training on mental health issues. Dr. Chandler has a great deal of experience leading successful health care programs throughout Southern California as she currently serves as the Chair of the Medical Economics Task Force and MD/MBA Program Advisor for the School of Medicine and Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine. She also offers her time to the Volunteer Clinic Faculty at U.C. Irvine’s Department of Pediatrics and Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care. In addition, she currently serves as the elected President of the Association of MD/MBA Programs and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Long Beach Memorial/Miller Children’s Hospital.

Albert Ocampo, CPA, Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Ocampo is a Certified Public Accountant in the United States and the Philippines who has been with TCC since 2012. He has over 11 years of experience in public accounting and more than 12 years of experience in corporate accounting and financial reporting of a publicly-listed company in the U.S. and Japan, along with experience in non-profit/healthcare management in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Prior to working at TCC, Mr. Ocampo worked as a Controller at El Proyecto del Barrio, an FQHC in the San Fernando Valley, a Financial Reporting Manager at Pioneer Electronics Corporation, an Audit Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in San Francisco and the Philippines, and as an Audit Manager at Ernst & Young, LLP in Vietnam. Mr. Ocampo’s extensive knowledge and experience in accounting, auditing, acquisition reviews, internal control systems design, and business operations review, help TCC maintain a solid financial position and strong financial management.

Andrew Horvath, Chief Information Officer

Mr. Horvath is responsible for the expansion and management of information technology at TCC for nearly 350 users in over 10 locations, where he has overseen the electronic health records implementation. Mr. Horvath is responsible for establishing standards for hardware and software to ensure quality, functionality, connectivity, and compatibility. He also develops, implements, and manages TCC application systems and maintains continuous quality, research, and assessment to ensure cost-effective utilization of IT resources. Prior to this, Mr. Horvath served as the Chief Technology Officer at Midisoft Corporation, where he expanded the company’s development internationally to nearly 10 countries and managed the development of the organization’s website. He has extensive experience establishing companies with high profitability and delivering IT solutions to lead the design and development of industry-recognized products. By enabling a secure, consumer-centric, information-rich healthcare delivery system, Mr. Horvath is committed to promoting the highest quality health care.