LFHC BOARD MEMBER HONORED WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH LEADERS AWARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LFHC BOARD MEMBER HONORED WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH LEADERS AWARD
Gabriel Rincón, D.D.S., first winner of Mexican descent of prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation honor

December 14, 2011, Brooklyn, NY…Gabriel Rincón, D.D.S., member of Lutheran Family Health Centers' Board of Trustees, was honored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with the 2011 Community Health Leaders Award for his work on educating Hispanics on preventing AIDS, diabetes, heart disease and stopping domestic violence. This award honors ten exceptional men and women each year who have overcome significant obstacles to tackle some of the most challenging health and health care problems facing their communities.

"Gabriel Rincón's passion for improving health outcomes for the immigrant population of Sunset Park is a tribute to his dedication and leadership at Mixteca," said Larry K. McReynolds, executive director, Lutheran Family Health Centers. "In 2009 alone, Mixteca provided four community health fairs, 20 community health workshops, 305 referrals to free or affordable health care, 332 HIV rapid tests, and 4,000 health screenings. None of that would have been possible without Gabriel Rincón. His dedication has resulted in measurable improvement in community health, especially in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood, where Mixteca is based."

Dr. Rincón is this award's first honoree of Mexican descent. Dr. Rincón has been credited for raising awareness of HIV and AIDS, particularly in New York's Mexican American community in the 1980s and 1990s. As he continued to identify health issues affecting the members of his community, he extended his outreach efforts to educate the public on heart disease, diabetes and access to health care and ultimately founded Mixteca Organization, Inc. In addition to his role on the Lutheran Family Health Centers Board of Trustees, Dr. Rincón also serves on the board of Lutheran HealthCare and as president of Mixteca Organization, Inc. Today, in addition to offering a broad range of health education programs, Mixteca provides literacy and computer classes, English language courses, and after-school programs.

Dr. Rincón is photographed above receiving his award from Janice Griffin Ford, national director, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Arward (left) and Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., MBA, president and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Click here for more information about the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leaders Award.

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