Press Release: Board Member Josh Valdez named President by Aveta Inc. of MSO of Puerto Rico, Inc.

(San Juan, Puerto Rico)  – Aveta Inc., one of the nation’s largest providers of managed healthcare services, announced today the appointment of Josh Valdez, D.B.A., as president of MSO of Puerto Rico, Inc. (MSO).

Valdez will lead and oversee the company’s 2010 initiatives to improve the quality of service offered to beneficiaries, while effectively managing healthcare costs and establishing the technological platform needed to achieve these goals.  In addition, Valdez will be instrumental in guiding MSO through implementation of initiatives that result from healthcare reform in D.C.

“We are pleased to bring Josh Valdez to our leadership team – not only because we are confident in his ability to grow MSO but also because he will serve as an excellent resource to the providers in our IPAs and the patients who rely on them,” said Richard Shinto, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Aveta Inc.

MSO is Puerto Rico’s leading administrative medical service organization that helps providers streamline operations so they achieve financial success, operational efficiency and offer quality patient care.  The organization works in close coordination with Aveta’s two Medicare Advantage plans in Puerto Rico: MMM Healthcare, Inc. and PMC Medicare Choice, Inc.

With over 20 years of experience in the healthcare field, Valdez has been recognized as one of the 15 most influential Hispanics in the United States by The Latino Coalition (2004), and one of the ten most influential Latinos in the healthcare sector by Hispanic Business (2004).  His experience spans business development, strategic planning, organizational management, advanced technologies and clinical care systems. 

“I am eager to join the Aveta family as president of MSO,” said Valdez.  “I believe that my solid experience in the industry will bring value to the company.  I look forward to working with the team in Puerto Rico and with the Aveta organization throughout the U.S.”

Previously, Valdez was president and chief executive officer for Right Way Healthcare Consulting, based in Thousand Oaks, Calif.  Valdez was also senior vice president of Health Care Management for WellPoint West and served as regional director of the United States Department of Health and Human Services from 2001 to 2003, under the George W. Bush administration.

Valdez holds a doctorate degree in Business Administration and Health Care Administration from the University of Southern California and a Master of Business Administration in Health Services Management from Golden Gate University.  Valdez is a commissioner in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for eliminating racial disparities in healthcare, a board member for the Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity and also the Inner City Games.  Valdez has held past appointments as a member of the White House Council on Aging, Chairman of the U.S. Latino Health Task Force, gubernatorial appointee of the California Health Policy and Data Commission, and Man of the Year for the Hollenbeck Youth Center in East Los Angeles, CA.  Valdez is married to Elizabeth and has three children, Gabriel, Noah and Jacob.

About MSO of Puerto Rico, Inc. and Aveta Inc.

MSO of Puerto Rico, Inc. (MSO) is Puerto Rico’s leading administrative medical service organization, offering support to 27 medical groups and healthcare organizations throughout the Island.  A partner to Medicare Advantage plans MMM Healthcare, Inc. and PMC Medicare Choice, Inc., MSO helps providers streamline operations so that they achieve financial and organizational efficiency and, most importantly, provide high-quality patient care experiences.  To learn more, visit www.mso.pr.

MSO is part of the Aveta Inc. family of companies – one of the largest providers of managed healthcare services in the United States.  Redefining healthcare management to meet the challenges of today’s complex healthcare environment, Aveta develops innovative models that coordinate care for more than 230,000 Medicare beneficiaries and more than 330,000 commercial members, Aveta builds provider networks and Medicare Advantage programs that are sustainable, cost-effective and utilize advanced technologies.  The company is headquartered in Fort Lee, New Jersey, and currently has operating subsidiaries in California, Illinois, Arizona and Puerto Rico.  For more information, visit www.aveta.com.

About Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity

The Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity Institute is a pro-business Hispanic advocacy organization whose mission is to help Hispanics take part in the American Dream through programs of public education and research.  To learn more please visit www.HAPInstitute.net. 

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Press Release: Sanchez Honored by California Latino Legislators

Austin, TX – Leslie Sanchez, author and political analyst, was honored with the prestigious 2010 Spirit Award by the California Latino Legislative Caucus during a special ceremony at the California Legislature on May 3.  Senator Gilbert Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) Chair of the Latino Caucus and Assembly member Tony Mendoza, (D- Artesia) Vice Chair, hosted the ceremonies.

The Spirit Awards recognizes individuals who exemplify the spirit of the Hispanic community. The honorees have furthered the understanding and acceptance of Hispanic-Latino values, culture and traditions through leadership and service.  Many of them have overcome tremendous obstacles and now are leaders in their communities. 

 Sanchez received recognition for her Achievement in Media.  Other distinguished honorees this year include: The Honorable Rosa “Rosie” Gumataotao Rios, Treasurer of the United States; Dr. Aliza A. Lifshitz, Editor in Chief of VidaySalud.com™; and the Honorable Frederick Aguirre of the Superior Court of California.  

“Leslie Sanchez has shown tremendous leadership and a continued commitment to the Latino Community.  Her remarkable accomplishments have been an inspiration and a true celebration of the Latino experience.  She has become a role model for all Latinos and it is our honor to acknowledge her achievements with 2010 Latino Spirit Award,” said Senator Cedillo.

“I am an honored to be recognized by the Latino Legislative Caucus and proud to be counted among the ranks of such significant contributors to our culture,” said Sanchez. “The flourishing impact of the Hispanic community on our nation’s economy and the political arena is fascinating and hope-filled.  It’s a privilege to help raise awareness and create opportunities for the Hispanic population in California and beyond.”

The Latino Legislative Caucus created the Latino Spirit Awards in 2001 to celebrate the contributions of Latinos to the common culture of the United States and to motivate the youth of California.  Previous honorees have included musician Carlos Santana, boxer and philanthropist Oscar de la Hoya, activist Rigoberta Menchu-Tum, producer Moctesuma Esparza, actors Andy Garcia, astronaut Ellen Ochoa.

About Leslie Sanchez

Sanchez is founder and CEO of Impacto Group LLC, a communications and market research firm specializing in defining social and economic trends affecting women and the emerging U.S. Hispanic community. She is author of the critically-acclaimed — You’ve Come a Long Way, Maybe: Sarah, Michelle, Hillary and the Shaping of the New American Woman and Los Republicanos: Why Hispanics and Republicans Need Each Other.

Sanchez was an on camera member of CNN’s award-winning 2008 election coverage team.  She currently serves as Co-Chairman of Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity (www.HAPInstitute.net) and in 2010 joined the Board of Directors for Resurgent Republic (www.resurgentrepublic.com).

About the Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity

Founded in 2004 the Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity is a national non-profit organization helping Hispanics take part in the American Dream through education, research and advocacy.  The Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity is a proven Hispanic grassroots network representing the views of Hispanics who believe in economic freedom.  For more information please visit www.HAPInstitute.net.

News: Obama seeks to ‘reconnect…young people, African-Americans, Latinos, and women’ for 2010

Obama seeks to ‘reconnect…young people, African-Americans, Latinos, and women’ for 2010
April 26, 2010
Obama seeks to ‘reconnect…young people, African-Americans, Latinos, and women’ for 2010
The Democratic National Committee this morning released this clip of the president rallying the troops, if rather coolly, for 2010. Obama’s express goal: “reconnecting” with the voters who voted for the first time in 2008, but who may not plan to vote in the lower-profile Congressional elections this year.

Obama speaks with unusual demographic frankness about his coalition in his appeal to “young people, African-Americans, Latinos, and women who powered our victory in 2008 [to] stand together once again.”

Turning out those so-called “surge” voters — who turned out for the first time to back Obama, but who sat out gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia last year — has become the Democrats’ central pre-occupation for the midterm elections, and the new Democratic effort to nationalize the election around Obama and his agenda mark an attempt to energize those voters.

News: Senators postpone climate bill unveiling

Senators postpone climate bill unveiling
Sat Apr 24, 6:59 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Monday’s unveiling of a compromise Senate climate bill was postponed on Saturday, Democratic Senator John Kerry said, after a dispute arose over unrelated immigration reform legislation.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said earlier on Saturday he would have to pull out of the bipartisan climate change effort because of concerns Democrats would push forward with a debate on immigration reform, rather than the climate change bill, in the Senate.

Kerry said he hoped to keep working for passage of a climate bill.

He said that after more than six months of detailed meetings with Graham and independent Senator Joseph Lieberman, “we believe that we had reached” an agreement on the details of a bill to reduce smokestack emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases associated with global warming.

They were planning to outline those details at a news conference on Monday that would have been attended by some environmental and industry representatives.

“But regrettably, external issues have arisen that force us to postpone only temporarily” the Senate’s work on the climate bill that also would have expanded U.S. nuclear power generation and offshore oil drilling.
The wide-ranging climate bill already faced an uphill battle in the Senate, even before it became enmeshed in a partisan battle between Democrats and Republicans over immigration reform.

But with only a few months left before November’s congressional elections, senators are trying to determine where their efforts should be focused, with the elections playing an important role in their decision.

Earlier on Saturday, The Washington Post reported that Graham wrote a letter to his colleagues informing them that unless Democrats stepped back from plans to move ahead with immigration reform rather than the climate change bill, the South Carolina Republican would drop out of the three-senator working group.

Without Graham on board, efforts to pass climate control legislation could be doomed as he was expected to work to win more Republican support for the bill.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a statement on Saturday that immigration and climate change were both important to Americans.

“They expect us to do both, and they will not accept the notion that trying to act on one is an excuse for not acting on the other,” Reid said.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Peter Cooney)