Year Honored: 2006
Birth: 1953
Born in: Delaware
Biography
Lolita A. Lopez is the President and CEO of Westside Health, Inc. an organization that serves the needs of New Castle County’s uninsured and most vulnerable citizens. Lopez and Westside Health have helped to meet the needs of the growing Hispanic population since 1990. The organization has expanded from “a tiny facility with only two exam rooms to a flourishing community health organization with a budget of $7.5 million and three locations handling more than 50,000 visits and 600 deliveries a year.” As of 2016, Westside Health has further expanded into six facilities statewide.
With a background in education and social work, Lopez is responsible for strategic direction, fiscal management, development, and operations at Westside Health. She “continues to implement her cutting-edge vision of quality primary medical and dental care and plans to connect Westside physicians with mental health professionals and with local hospitals to offer seamless, barrier-free health care.” Within her organization, Lopez promotes continuing education by providing funding for additional medical education classes and certifications, and by recruiting Westside physicians to be leaders of clinical programs and sit on committees statewide.
In addition to her work with Westside Health, Lopez is a diplomate of the American College of Healthcare Executives; was appointed to the Health Disparities Task Force; appointed to the Delaware Healthy Infant and Women’s Consortium; is a founding member of the Healthy Delaware Foundation; a trustee of Christiana Care; serves on the Delaware Healthcare Access and Improvement Coalition; on the board of trustees for Delaware Technical and Community College; and serves on the Disparities Committee of the Delaware Cancer Consortium.
Lopez’s work has been recognized through the My Boss is a Patriot Award from the U.S Secretary of Defense (2003); the Healthy Delaware Hero Award from Access to Health Care (2001); Women of the Next Century Award from the YWCA of New Castle County (1999); National Association of Community Health Center’s Outstanding Achievement Award (2015); the YWCA Trailblazer Award (2011); inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame (2010); the Distinguished Hispanic Delawarean Award from the Latin American Community Center (2006); and the Senior-Level Regent’s Award from the American College of Healthcare Executives (2005).
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Sources and Additional Readings
Lolita Lopez confirmed to Delaware Tech Board of Trustees. Cape Gazette. (1970, January 1). Retrieved January 13, 2022, from https://www.capegazette.com/node/101507
- Collections: 2006