2023 Gala: Changing Lives, One at a Time | VIP Community Services

2023 gala

2023 Gala: Changing Lives, One at a TimeChristian Derr2023-03-22T17:19:19-04:00

October 4, 2023, 6-10pm

Marina Del Rey – 1 Marina Dr. Bronx, NY 10465

Please join us on October 4 for our Annual Gala. Our theme, Changing Lives, One at a Time, speaks to the impact we make on individuals of all ages and whose needs may be simple (a vaccine or routine check-up) or complex (housing, behavioral health services, or support with a chronic illness). Our approach is person-centered, and our goal is to help individuals lead their best lives.

Our event is an opportunity for you to network, to support VIP’s services, and to enjoy a great evening. This year we have the privilege of honoring Ponce Bank for their ongoing service to the community as well as awarding the VIP Community Builder Award to Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez, President and Chief Executive Officer of Urban Health Plan, and the Political Impact Award to Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda. We are also excited that actor V.P. Walling will be our Master of Ceremonies.

We have an exciting evening planned and I sincerely hope to see you there. Please know that your support helps to ensure VIP’s continued ability to offer desperately needed services to under-resourced communities in the Bronx and across NYC, regardless of people’s ability to pay. Please consider serving as a sponsor, purchasing an ad, buying tickets, or making a financial contribution in support of the people we serve.

Sincerely,

Debbian Fletcher-Blake
CEO

2023 HONOREES

Honoree

Ponce Bank

Political Impact Award

Senator Luis Sepulveda

Community Builder Award

Paloma Hernandez

President & CEO of Urban Health Plan

2023 EMCEE

V.P. Walling

Emcee

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We’re grateful for the support of our Event and Development Committee members!
Thank you for making this celebration possible.

Ponce Bank

About Ponce Bank (1)

Senator Luis Sepulveda

Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda was first elected to represent the 32nd Senate District in April 2018. His diverse district covers large parts of the South and Central Bronx. He previously served for three terms as the Assemblyman for the 87th Assembly District.

A staunch advocate for his constituents and the people of the state of New York, Senator Sepulveda has been a champion of bolstering economic opportunity, diversity, and social service reforms, especially as they affect middle and working-class families.

As Senator, he has been a leader in criminal justice reform, working to change the culture of distrust between communities of color and the police and to correct inherent racial biases in the justice system. During the 2019 Legislative Session, he oversaw the historic criminal justice reforms in ending cash bail, early discovery, and speedy trial. He continues to lead on legislation supporting rehabilitation and reentry, ending solitary confinement, creating civilian oversight of the state correctional system, and more.

His efforts as Assemblymember included sponsoring a bill to create a board to review civilian deaths and near-deaths involving police officers, a bill requiring videotaping of all engagements between uniformed officers and individuals in the community, and advocating for Raise the Age legislation to prevent 16- and 17-year-olds from being charged as adults.

Senator Sepúlveda has become a recognized leader in Albany as an advocate for immigrant rights in New York, as the lead sponsor of two of the state’s most impactful and historic immigration bills: the NY State Jose Peralta DREAM Act and the Green Light Bill, which respectively expanded access to higher education and driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.

Senator Sepúlveda has continuously advocated for increased funding for community health and mental health services. His efforts to raise the visibility among legislators and key opinion leaders of the alarming suicide rate in the Latina teen population proved fruitful most recently when Governor Cuomo announced the formation of the New York State Suicide Prevention Task Force. The Senator also worked closely with Mayor de Blasio in 2014 to secure funding for universal pre-kindergarten in New York City.

As a representative of one of the lowest income districts in the state and with an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of his constituents, Senator Sepulveda is deeply engaged in his community and creating opportunities for educational and economic justice. His district office’s top priority is to provide reliable, excellent, and unrivaled constituent services, on issues including housing, healthcare, social services, and more. He regularly hosts free workshops, job fairs, and resource fairs in the community.

For his legislative and community service efforts, he is the recipient of a number of government, community, and educational awards.

Senator Sepúlveda earned his bachelor’s from Hofstra University and his law degree from Hofstra’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law. He is one of two Latinx attorneys in the New York State Legislature.

Paloma Hernandez

President & CEO of Urban Health Plan

Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Urban Health Plan, one of the largest community health center networks in New York State. Paloma has devoted her career to increasing access to high-quality, affordable health care and reducing the rates of health disparities in underserved communities. Paloma’s unwavering commitment to advancing Urban Health Plan’s mission is reflected in both the organization’s successes and the positive impact it has on the communities it serves.

Under Paloma’s leadership, Urban Health Plan has grown from a one-site health center in the South Bronx to a network of twelve federally qualified community health centers, spanning the Bronx, Central Harlem, and Corona, Queens. The organization is also comprised of two mental health facilities, and twelve school-based health centers, all serving over 400,000 patients annually. In addition, Urban Health Plan offers many grant-funded programs and WIC services throughout its locations.

Paloma holds the fundamental belief that for an individual to grow, prosper, and achieve optimum health, their basic needs must first be met. For this reason, she has established an array of social service programs based on community needs and has led many community development projects. She continuously works toward forging and nurturing strong partnerships that work to address the social determinants of health, including food insecurity, housing, and job readiness.

Paloma anchors the day-to-day work of Urban Health Plan with values that underscore the diversity, equity, and inclusion she champions. The organization was recognized by the Brandon Hall Group for “onboarding best practices” and the Career Stat Frontline Award by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions. Urban Health Plan was also awarded the Age Smart Employer Award for its diversity in the workplace. It is no wonder that Urban Health Plan is considered a significant economic engine that has contributed to the resurgence of growth and development of the South Bronx. The organization is also the largest employer in the 10459 zip code.

Nationally, Urban Health Plan is recognized and highly awarded for the continuous quality improvement work Paloma has woven into the fabric of the organization. She is a thought leader who is often asked to share best practices and Urban Health Plan’s model of improving the quality of health care for underserved populations. Urban Health Plan is accredited by the Joint Commission and recognized by the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home (2011 standards). Level 3 is the highest recognition awarded by the NCQA. The organization has won countless accolades for quality and innovation, with its most recent in 2022 when it was awarded eight Community Health Quality Recognition badges from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for benchmarks met and exceeded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the most the organization has ever been awarded by HRSA in a single year.

Urban Health Plan has also won countless accolades for innovation, including the Nicholas E. Davies Award for Excellence in the use of electronic health records from the Health Information Management Systems Society. It is recognized as one of the first health centers in the country to implement and fully utilize electronic medical records. In 2009, the United States Environmental Protection Agency distinguished the Center’s Asthma Management Program with the National Exemplary Award for reducing asthma-related hospitalization rates in the South Bronx.

It is with great pride that Paloma dedicates herself to continuing the work and vision of her late father, Dr. Richard Izquierdo, M.D., the founder of Urban Health Plan. In 2009, the Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health and Science Charter School was founded as a way of addressing the community’s educational gaps and developing a future pipeline of health professionals. Since its inception, The School has had high college acceptance rates.

Paloma currently serves as the Chair-Elect of the National Association of Community Health Centers and on other numerous boards. She has also served as the chairperson of the board of directors of the Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS).

Paloma was raised in the Bronx, NY. She received an undergraduate degree from Boston College and holds a master’s degree in speech pathology from Columbia University’s Teachers College, a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Social Sciences from Boston College, as well as an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Humane Letters from Metropolitan College of New York.

V.P. Walling

Emcee

V.P. Walling (he/him) has acted in more than 60 plays, musicals, films, television episodes, and commercials. Trained in New York and Los Angeles at the Atlantic, Groundlings, and Upright Citizens Brigade theaters, and “a bit off-kilter…expertly straddling the line between comedy and drama, alluring leading man and oddly tender manchild-nextdoor” (NY Theater Review), he has had the pleasure of working and learning alongside such diverse, talented artists as: the Coen Brothers, Janusz Kaminski, Denzel Washington, Jaimie Alexander, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Brendan Gleeson, Robin Weigert, Seth Rogen, and Erik Estrada, to name but a few. He lives with his family, a rescue Cheagle named Rodney Rickles, and a healthy obsession with Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (which is why he goes by @abefromansausageking on Instagram.)