Get to Know Us

Leadership

Donald Blanchon

Interim Executive Director

Donald Blanchon (he/him) assumed the role of La Clínica’s Interim Executive Director, effective January 1, 2024. With over 3 decades of experience in health systems, he is the longtime former CEO of Whitman-Walker Health, an FQHC and leader in LGBTQ care and advocacy.

Carlos Plazas

Chief Financial Officer + Chief Operations Officer *Starting November 1, Carlos will serve as our new CEO

Mr.Plazas (he/him) comes to La Clínica directly from Planned Parenthood of Maryland, where for the past nine-plus years he served as its Vice President of Finance, and for the past 6.5 years, also in the role of COO. Previously, he served as the Director of Finance at Chase Brexton, a Maryland non-profit medical center which serves 40,000 patients annually. Carlos received his master’s degree in accounting and business from Towson University. He also serves on the boards of IPAS, Southeast Community Development Corporation and the Baltimore Convention & Tourism. Carlos enjoys cooking, watching futbol (soccer), and spending time with his four daughters, two in middle school and two of the furry variety.

Suyanna Linhales Barker

Chief of Programs and Community Services

Mrs.Barker (she/her) prior to serving as La Clínica’s Chief Program Officer, Dr. Linhales Barker served as La Clínica’s Senior Director of Health Equity and Community Action. Dr. Linhales Barker has always believed that healthcare is a fundamental human right and has focused her career on ending health disparities related to poverty and discrimination. As the Chief of Programs and Community Services, she is responsible for overseeing the design, implementation and evaluation of programs that are culturally and linguistically grounded. In 2015, Dr. Linhales Barker was awarded the Distinguished Community Advocate Award by the District of Columbia Primary Care Association. She holds a Doctorate in Public Health from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and a Master’s Degree in Social Psychology from the State University in Rio de Janeiro.

Michaela Lindahl-Ackerman

Interim Chief Health Officer

Ms. Lindahl (she/her) is a registered nurse (RN) with over 20 years’ leadership experience in clinical operations, public health, strategic and tactical planning, program management, and quality/process improvement both domestically and internationally. As Interim Chief Health Officer, Ms. Lindahl oversees Operations, Clinical Services, Primary Care, Behavioral and Mental Health, and Nursing and Care Management. Ms. Lindahl grounds her work in an equity lens and brings expertise in a systems approach to clinical operations. She began her work in healthcare as a Program Manager to Promotoras de Salud in rural Oregon. Since then, with a focus on populations made vulnerable and marginalized, she has paired her primary care nursing experience with operational expertise to lead clinical operations at large FQHCs and non-profit health organizations. Ms. Lindahl is the Managing Principal Consultant at Michaela Lindahl & Associates where she provides executive level services to healthcare agencies and organizations, including interim leadership, operational, organizational, and clinical efficacy support. From Kabul to Geneva, she’s consulted with far-reaching organizations such as Jhpiego, Planned Parenthood and the World Health Organization. She’s held adjunct faculty positions at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and University of Maryland School of Nursing where she teaches future public health nurses the challenges in addressing health system issues for underserved populations. She holds a Masters of Public Health in International Health from Oregon State University and a Masters in Science of Nursing from the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

Manuel Diaz-Ramirez

Community Health Action Department Director

Mr. Diaz-Ramirez (he/him) oversees the community health programs and activities developed by La Clínica del Pueblo to ensure that efficient and quality community-focused services are provided. As the Community Health Action Department Director, he assesses health needs within the community as a whole, and develops strategies grounded in public health and community mobilization to address these needs at the individual, family, group, community, or structural level as appropriate. Prior to 2018, he served as La Clínica’s LGBTQ Health Program Manager. Mr. Diaz-Ramirez holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and is licensed in Psychology from the Universidad Ricardo Palma in Lima, Peru.

Angie Castro

Director of Mental Health and Substance Use Services

Ms. Castro Moreno (she/her) is a bilingual, Independent Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over ten years of experience providing culturally responsive trauma-informed mental health services to minorities. Before her current role, Ms. Castro Moreno oversaw all mental health services offered by La Clinica in DC and MD, provided clinical care coordination services for the substance use program Volviendo a Vivir, and provided mental health services for the school-based mental health program Mi Refugio. Before joining la Clinica while living in Florida, she worked as a crisis line counselor; case manager; mental health provider for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking; and HIV grant coordinator for an LGBTQ program. Ms. Castro Moreno obtained her bachelor's in social work and master's in Clinical Social Work from Florida International University in Miami, Florida. She is a current fellow of the National Hispanic and Latino Executive Leadership and Fellowship program from the National Latino Behavioral Health Association.

Rodrigo Stein

Director of Health Equity and Strategic Community Partnerships

Mr. Stein (he/him) joined La Clinica in 2016 as its Health Promotion Manager. Utilizing a host of environmental and culturally appropriate strategies, he designed and implemented programs and initiatives aimed at reducing the incidence of chronic diseases for the Latino immigrant community. Before La Clinica, he was selected as a Global Health Corps Fellow with The Grassroot Project, where he advanced health equity in the District of Columbia by using sports to reimagine health education in middle schools. He also supported youth development in his roles at Manchester United Soccer Schools and the Manchester United Foundation in the U.K. In his current role, Mr. Stein will be establishing our Health Equity and Strategic Community Partnerships Department with a focus on leading programs to address language barriers, engage community participation for program development and advocacy, and promote meaningful collaboration across sectors by strengthening local partnerships. Mr. Stein earned his Masters of Science in Sociology of Sport from Loughborough University, U.K., and a Bachelors of Arts in History and Political Science from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.

Hilda Mah’moud

Controller

Ms. Mah’moud (she/her) has more than 23 years of service in the nonprofit sector meeting the health needs of underserved communities. 21 of those years have been with La Clinica. Prior to joining La Clinica, she worked for 10 years as an accountant and auditor with various organizations in Ghana. In her current position, she has served as the principal lead in establishing and maintaining the financial framework of the organization. Ms. Mah’moud has worked throughout her career ensuring compliance with controls, providing strong leadership in the accounting, and reporting of financial operations. Overseeing the Finance department of La Clinica. Her strengths include strong organizational skills, leadership, and attention to detail. Ms. Mah’moud holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Strayer University. CPA certification with the State of Delaware, she is licensed to practice with the State of Maryland.

Melissa Mariñelarena

Director of Nursing, Quality, and Population Health

Ms. Mariñelarena (she/her) is responsible for developing and implementing the clinical quality and population health program. She also oversees the nursing and care management program designed to produce improved health outcomes. Ms. Mariñelarena brings over 19 years of clinical expertise, measurement science, and healthcare policy. Before joining La Clinica del Pueblo, Ms. Mariñelarena co-founded a healthcare quality consulting company focused on quality improvement and healthcare policy and has led multiple teams on federal government contracts related to quality measures and public-reporting and performance-based payment programs. She has also cared for diverse patient populations in various settings, such as a community hospital in Arlington, VA, and hospitals in southern California. Ms. Mariñelarena has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master's in Public Administration, both from George Mason University, and she is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ).

Paola Luisi

Director of Communications

Paola Luisi (she/her) is a political strategist with over fifteen years of experience in political campaigns, advocacy, communications and rapid response in the United States and overseas. Paola served as the Director of Communications for the International Planned Parenthood Western Hemisphere’s Office, working on reproductive rights and access to abortion care throughout the Americas. She also worked on President Obama’s ‘08 and ‘12 campaign, Secretary Clinton’s ‘16 campaign, in the Uruguayan Senate, and most recently, served as Director of the Families Belong Together campaign, which worked on the family separation crisis in coalition with organizations at the U.S.-Mexico border and beyond. She is fluent in Spanish, French, and conversational in Italian and Brazilian Portuguese. Born in Washington DC, Paola is a proud first-generation American, daughter of immigrants, and has traveled to over thirty-five countries (with many more to go).