“It’s not just about healthcare for the sake of healthcare; it’s about exposure to culture, language, understanding them (Latinos)” -Dr. Talamantes. OPRIMA AQUI PARA ESPAÑOL
It was in his childhood when Dr. Efrain Talamantes learned the value of humility.
“I grew up in a small ranch in Jalisco, where I worked in the fields. That allowed me to understand life. I started my schooling there, in a classroom with children of all ages and grades. I didn’t like it, but it also made me aware of the needs people live with,” says Dr. Talamantes, MD, Chief Operating Officer of AltaMed Health Services, a community health network based in Southern California, and former Associate Director of the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities.
“I grew up in a small ranch in Jalisco, where I worked in the fields. That allowed me to understand life.”
His grandfather had the opportunity to migrate to California under the Bracero Program, giving his parents the chance to seek the same path with the desire for a better life.
“I arrived as a child, continued my studies here, and immediately noticed the differences, the opportunities in schools. From a very early age, I always had the idea of taking advantage of these opportunities, being a leader, contributing to having better services for the community,” adds Dr. Talamantes.
He not only saw it but lived it. From a young age, due to his parents’ inability to speak English, he had to serve as a translator when they went to the doctor, in addition to helping with the jobs they obtained for the family.
Now, in my position as a professional, I can understand my community. I understand that the Medi-Cal program makes the registration process very complicated for many, but I always insist that they must take that first step, be responsible for something as valuable as health.”.- Dr. Talamantes.
“I helped with landscaping, and house-sitting jobs. When my parents got sick and I had to translate for them, I realized the injustice towards our community, towards migrants without documents. There weren’t as many community centers as we have at AltaMed, which has helped me understand my patients—they resemble my family, my parents,” he adds.
At seven years old, he had an experience that marked his life. A beloved uncle had a baby who died, and it deeply impacted him. He held his uncle in high esteem and witnessed the pain it caused him. It was during that time that he also understood the importance of access to healthcare.
“It’s not just about healthcare for the sake of healthcare; it’s about exposure to culture, language, understanding them. This is how I got to understand it, by being exposed to those deficiencies, that culture, the language barriers, and now I try to incorporate that in my practice and the services we offer,” he says.
However, it wasn’t until years later that he decided to study medicine.
“I was in college, there were few Spanish speakers, and I was invited to a health fair to translate. I went gladly. When I arrived, I saw over a hundred people waiting to be attended. It was like being with my family, they were like them, reminding me of my dad and mom,” Dr. Efrain Talamantes says.
There, he also saw the deficiencies his community faced in healthcare, culture, and language. He decided to become a professional who would focus on the community.
“We have to understand them. Now, in my position as a professional, I can understand my community. I understand that the Medi-Cal program makes the registration process very complicated for many, but I always insist that they must take that first step, be responsible for something as valuable as health. The community shouldn’t feel it’s obligatory; instead, they are entitled to these benefits in the state,” he adds.
For this doctor with origins in Jalisco, Mexico, the community should see this opportunity as an investment. If they are healthy, they will have a better quality of life and the possibility of living for many more years.
“Now, in my position as a professional, I can understand my community. I understand that the Medi-Cal program makes the registration process very complicated for many, but I always insist that they must take that first step.”
Many organizations and community leaders have mentioned that the registration takes up to a day of work for immigrants, and many of them go unpaid. For others, filling out documents is very difficult, and they choose not to do it. For Talamantes, the challenge is not an individual one; it should be a challenge for the community.
“We must work as a group, helping each other. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a family member; it can be a friend or neighbor helping those looking to register. If we act as a community, we will achieve better things,” he adds.
For this doctor, the goal for any individual should be to avoid emergency hospital care at all costs.
“Medicine has advanced a lot. If we choose preventive medicine, it will allow us to combat typical problems in our community, like diabetes, hypertension. If our community has this insurance, it helps us to help them, offer the best available treatment. Those without access to insurance receive a different type of care. This we must be very clear about, hence the importance of accessing Medi-Cal,” he emphatically says.
“We must work as a group, helping each other. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a family member; it can be a friend or neighbor helping those looking to register.”
Another point regarding Latinos not enrolling is the fear of being adversely affected in terms of immigration and the shame of receiving medical benefits while being undocumented.
“The community should know that access to health is a right they have earned. They are productive people, they pay taxes. That’s why, I repeat, at AltaMed, we seek to provide information and also offer healthcare,” he adds.
For Dr. Efrain Talamantes, the objectives are clear. “To improve the health of our community, we need more people, as a community, to care about having better health and not feel ashamed,” he concludes.
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