[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 166 (Friday, October 21, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING MR. FRANCISCO CASTILLON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DAVID G. VALADAO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 21, 2022

  Mr. VALADAO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Francisco 
Castillon for receiving the National Association of Community Health 
Center's Lifetime Achievement Award.
  As a migrant and seasonal farmworker for over 12 years throughout his 
youth, Mr. Castillon experienced the challenges in accessing healthcare 
firsthand. As a result, his career has been centered on delivering 
high-quality medical, dental, behavioral, and other services to the 
medically underserved, especially the poor, the voiceless, and 
farmworkers and their families. For over 30 years, Mr. Castillon has 
worked for Community and Migrant Health Centers (C/MHC) as CEO, Deputy 
Director, Program Manager and Consultant. In addition, Mr. Castillon 
served as the President and CEO of the California Health Federation, 
representing over 300 health centers throughout California. 
Furthermore, he was also the Chairman of the Board of the National 
Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), which is based out of 
Washington D.C. and represents over 1,500 C/MHCs.
  Since 2010, Mr. Francisco Castillon has served as CEO of Omni Family 
Health, a growing network of state-of-the-art health centers located 
throughout Kern, Kings, Tulare, and Fresno counties. During Mr. 
Castillon's time as CEO, Omni has expanded from 12 health centers to 
38, more than doubling the number of patients served. Mr. Castillon 
continues to lead Omni's growth, with plans to open future locations in 
Kern and Fresno Counties. Serving the medically underserved individuals 
and families in our communities has been Mr. Castillon's lifelong 
passion.
  Mr. Castillon is a mission-driven executive, well respected among his 
peers and within the communities he has served. One of the keys to his 
success is a firm commitment to managing C/MHCs with honesty, 
integrity, and transparency. He is one of very few executives within 
the C/MHC movement that has earned five national awards for his 
contributions and accomplishments in serving these vulnerable groups. 
For these reasons, Mr. Castillon was the perfect candidate to be 
honored by the NACHC with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his 
achievements, dedication, and contributions to the community health 
center movement.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to 
join me in honoring the achievements of Mr. Francisco Castillon and 
congratulating him on receiving the NACHC Lifetime Achievement Award.