Mission
Is to revive, renew, and restore confidence, empowerment and self-esteem in every individual facing a cancer diagnosis.
About Us
We Support U is a community-based nonprofit organization providing a support services for individuals and families in San Diego County.
Mission
To revive, renew, and restore confidence, empowerment and self-esteem in every individual facing a cancer diagnosis.
Vision
Is to improve cancer prevention, screening and survival among
under served, low-income communities and to be comprehensive
link between healthcare providers, cancer patients and their families and community resources.
Goal
Is to improve health prevention, screening and survival among underserved, low-income communities and to be the comprehensive link between healthcare providers, cancer patients and their families and community resources.
MEET THE TEAM
FOUNDERS
Bertha Tiznado
Executive Director
Bertha Tiznado, born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, relocated to San Diego after completing her basic education to begin a profession in health as a Certified Medical Assistant. While growing her career, she discovered her true calling in working with cancer patients as a case manager. Her passion and dedication to her patients earned her an invitation to join the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization. The following sixteen years, she gained recognition within this community by participating on lead committees for Celebrando, MANA “Dia de la Mujer”, National Training Partnership Advisory board, San Diego County Promotores Coalition, Study Advisory Committee at the San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, and the Mexican Consulate’s BiNational Health Week; as well as contributing to numerous local and national conferences, newspapers, radio, and television shows. Her experiences at Y-ME strengthened her commitment to finding new research and technologies that would better serve those in need. Bertha quickly recognized the need for better education, preventative measures, and treatment options in the South Bay, and co-fund We Support U, Non-Profit organization supporting cancer patients for San Diego. This organization is comprised of over thirty young enthusiastic volunteers and cancer survivors who strive to educate the community on the benefits of prevention and early detection of cancer. Ms. Tiznado served as the Business Liaison for UC San Diego Radiation Oncology South Bay for 11 years. There, she utilizes her skills and experience through business development and marketing in the US and Mexico. At the same time, she manages the Cancer Navigation Program, offering care and support to its patients. Bertha begins each day striving to help patients in need and further educate the community. Her partnership with Radiation Oncology and the Oncologist allows her to take a holistic approach while tending to her patients and continuously improve their medical care. She describes her work as very rewarding and feels fortunate that her Board, Promotoras and Volunteers share her passion and devotion. Bertha believes everyone deserves to understand their options and opportunities, and to realize they are not alone. She serves as an inspiration to those she collaborates with and continues to bring hope to many people in the fight against cancer.
Currently, Ms. Tiznado serves as the Promotoras Program Director for Optima Medical Management Group, Inc and Serene Health IPA, supervising and training Promotoras throughout the State of CA to be able to support medical providers and the care management team by creating programs and community outreach activities to be able to serve members to obtain better quality of medical and social service , improving the quality of life of our community.
She currently served as a board member at the Rotary Club of Coronado Binational, San Diego County Promotoras Coalition and the Mexican Consulate’s Binational Health Committee.
Oscar Medina
Oscar Medina has 34 years of experience in the healthcare field. He has successfully managed all facets of national and international business development for healthcare firms involved in their expansion of services. His expertise in HMO contract evaluation and negotiations, financial analysis, and development of business plans has resulted in the development of various successful strategic enterprises. Mr. Medina has effectively negotiated with many high profile manage care companies, as well as State and County agencies in the United States. Mr. Medina is currently President/Founder of Optima Medical Management Group, Inc., a managed care medical management company, Under Optima, Mr. Medina was successful in developing and building Community Care IPA, when he initiated his contract with the IPA in 2014, it only had 700 members and at the end December 2019 was managing 152,000 managed care members. In addition, in January of 2020 Mr. Medina founded and establish Serene Health IPA, A telehealth platform to provide mental health services, Currently Mr. Medina functions as President and Chairman of the Board for Serene Health. Mr. Medina, as consultant for the University of California San Diego Health System (UCSD) was hired to create and implement an integrated healthcare delivery program in Imperial County to include the entire medical community. Mr. Medina was successful in developing the strategy that resulted in UCSD obtaining a long term contract to manage the local El Centro Regional Medical Hospital and partnerships with local community providers.
Mr. Medina’s analytical skills have been instrumental in identifying critical issues and effectively implementing solutions that led to positive results in the private sector. During Mr. Medina’s tenure he has been instrumental and has led a team of health care professionals to successfully obtain all necessary regulatory Knox Keene (HMO) license requirements in California. In addition, he has contracted and set-up IPA physician networks in South and Northern California, Oregon, State of Washington and Ohio.
Mr. Medina has dual citizenship (USA and Mexico) and is fully bilingual as an entrepreneur with expertise in corporate administration, corporate planning, and finance; he has successfully promoted and marketed healthcare services and products in different segments of the private sector. Mr. Medina has been engaged and was responsible for ensuring the successful launch of several start-up companies by leading tax planning, legal, and other star-up efforts. His experience and practical approach to everyday business operations and dedication to positive outcomes has allowed him to work within both the private and public sectors. He has previously served as President/Founder for MedConnect Medical Management, LLC, and COO of Emerald Health Preferred Provider Organization in Ohio. Vice President of Gold Coast Medical Services; Vice President of business development for ProCare, Inc.
Mr. Medina is currently the Board Member/Founder of Cancer Circle Network of Healing, dba “We Support U” a non-profit organization to help cancer patients and their families deal with this devastating disease. In addition, he served as a board member at the San Diego County Medical Society Foundation and has served on sub-committees for the Department of Health Services for the State of California, San Diego Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, KPBS Committee for Better Education, and Coachella Valley Health Partnership. He also has served as a Board member for the Border View YMCA and as Honorary Chairman for the Business Advisory Council.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Rafael Garcia
Treasurer
Mr. Garcia has been founder and President of different groups that assist the Latino community. He has more than eighteen years of experience in this area.
Mr. Garcia understands first-hand how difficult it can be to get to the United States, without speaking the language or without knowledge of immigration laws and the American system. He arrived in the United States undocumented and with the dream of success. This dream and this experience impelled him to understand the needs and to feel compassion for the Latino community.
It was due to these experiences that he realized the need of our Latino community to receive correct information from honest professionals who will not take advantage of their situation.
Rafael Garcia has fought and achieved an extensive and successful career in marketing. Working with large companies such as Telemundo San Diego, Telemundo Las Vegas, Univision Radio, Azteca America, NBC Universal, Zulaica Media, and currently performing successfully at Talamantes Immigration Law Firm. This experience has helped him to build important relationships with these great companies by helping the community by getting honest professionals to represent and benefit people in their different needs.
Michelle Darnelle
Director
Michelle Darnelle is the Operations Business Development Manager and 340-B Hospital and Clinic Director for Medical Center Pharmacy and has been in the pharmacy business for over 35 Year. She has had responsibilities for business planning enterprise accountability, research and development, marketing sales and services, managing of 340-B accounts for hospitals and clinics in San Diego County and North County. Prior to joining Medical Center Pharmacy, Michelle Darnelle worked at Community Medical Center Pharmacy as the Operations Manager with responsibilities for servicing 340-B clinics, doctor clinics, discharge hospitals, and over 400 residential care facilities in San Diego County.
Mery Lopez Gallo
Dr. Community Affairs / Univision Radio
Graduate student from San Diego School of Broadcasting: this year marks her 15th anniversary with Univision Radio where she originally started as the creative writer/translator for their two stations and transitioned to radio personality and current Director of Community Affairs. Mery has been instrumental in helping to raise $5.1 million dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (through annual Radio-thons). She is a dedicated supporter of several non-profit organizations, currently serving on the Board of Directors of The Foundation for the Children of the California’s, The Chicano Federation and the Teatro Mascara Magica. Mery was invited by the Mexican Government to serve on their nationwide advisory board for the Institute of the Mexicans Abroad from 2009 to 2012. As part of that effort, she headed the Media commission and was recognized by IFE, Mexico’s Federal Electoral Institute, for her instrumental role in creating a campaign to promote the vote among Mexicans living in the US during the 2012 Mexican presidential elections. She is the Executive Producer /host of “De Viva Voz”, Univision Radio’s Sunday morning Community Affairs show. With her approximately 700 shows to date, she has empowered the Hispanic community with important information, interviewing representatives from major government agencies and other organizations from both sides of the border.
Chantal Tovar
Director
Chantal Tovar is a second generation Mexican/American who was born in Los Angeles, CA. Her family moved to San Diego when she was 9 years old. She grew up in the community of Logan Heights and is bilingual/bicultural. She loves to travel, read personal development books, and help animals. She is married and has four sons (two biological, two step sons). Hobbies include roller derby/roller skating, hiking, meditation, and practicing minimalism.
Chantal has worked for Family Health Centers of San Diego for 20 years. During those years she has worked in adult health education around topics such as adolescent reproductive health, family violence prevention, and mental health access. For the past 5 years she has been Clinic Director for the Lemon Grove Family Health Center.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services and a Master’s degree in Organizational Management and Leadership from Springfield College. She also has a certificate in Meeting and Events Planning from San Diego State University and is certified through Honsha as a LEAN Instructor for 5S and Kaizen. She is the first person in her family to earn a college education.
She has the goal of becoming a certified financial coach in the near future so that she can help others get out of personal debt.
Chantal believes in servant leadership, compassion for others, and setting a good example for those around her.
Jesus Omar Partida
Director
Jesus Omar Partida is the founder and CEO of Molecular iQ Corp. He holds a postgraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego in Nuclear Medicine. He was also trained in nuclear pharmacology and as a cyclotron operator. He has successfully launched more than 50 cancer centers and molecular imaging facilities throughout the United States, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Mr. Partida creates strategic partnerships with healthcare systems, governments, medical equipment manufacturers, and clinicians. He brings years of experience in physician training, contracting, sales and marketing, and clinical operations to these agreements, bringing a realistic, yet visionary approach to joint venture goals. His entrepreneurial skills were integral in many of RadNet, Inc., initiatives, where he worked for 13 years as a Director of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT, Director of Operations, Vice President of International Development, and Vice President of Strategic Development. Mr. Partida launched and managed RadNet’s largest international partnership with the State of Qatar for delivery of a nationwide, population based cancer screening program. His successful management of all clinical, regulatory, operational, and multilingual
media initiatives in the project resulted in an increase in screening—in line with the KPIs.
Mr. Partida has led many clinical research initiatives with many pharmaceutical companies. He has successfully launched and commercialized Molecular Imaging and Therapies in diverse patient populations—resulting in new medical advances in the marketplace.
MEDICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Kevin Murphy M.D.
UCSD Radiation Oncology and Associate Professor
Kevin Murphy MD, is a board-certified radiation oncologist who specializes in treating tumors of the central nervous system (CNS), or brain and spinal cord. Dr. Murphy founded the Stereotactic Radiosurgery Program at UC San Diego Health in 2005. His expertise including using novel technologies such as frameless stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), intensity modulated stereotactic radiosurgery (IM-SRS) and hypo-fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery to treat the brain tumors in both adults and children.
He received his bachelor's in science from University of Notre Dame and a master's in neurophysiology from Purdue University. He earned degree his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzer School of Medicine and completed his radiation oncology residency at University of Chicago School of Medicine.
More recently, Dr. Murphy has gained wide expertise in the emerging field of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and has created a propietary, personalized approach to rTMS treatment termed PrTMSTM approach with exceptional athletes and active duty personnel who have an interest in maintaining high-level human performance. Dr. Murphy also is working with third parties who are interested in performing the first clinical studies to formally assess the effect of PrTMSTM on sleep, focus, reaction time, and other human performance metrics.
Carlos DeCarvalho M.D.
Internal Medicine
Dr. De Carvalho has been practicing medicine since 1983. Dr. De Carvalho received his medical degree from Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in 1976.
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
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