[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11556]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING FRED DEHARO FOR HIS POSITIVE IMPACT ON IMPROVING HEALTH 
            EDUCATION FOR PRESIDENTS OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RAUL RUIZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 14, 2015

  Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and recognize the 
extraordinary contributions Fred Deharo has made to the health and 
wellbeing of residents in the Coachella Valley, making a real 
difference in the lives of the people I serve.
  There is a dire need for quality health education and health care in 
the Coachella Valley. As an Emergency Physician myself, I know how 
critical it is for this population to have access to health care and 
education, and have seen first-hand the impact of Mr. Deharo's work.
  For the last 35 years, Mr. Deharo has dedicated his life to expanding 
and improving public health. Upon graduating from UCLA with a Masters 
of Arts in Health Education-School of Public Health, Mr. Deharo was 
hired by ``El Progreso Del Desierto,'' a farm worker health clinic in 
Coachella, to run their health education program, and eventually became 
their Executive Director.
  Mr. Deharo's genuine passion for our country's medically underserved 
populations steered him toward his next professional endeavor. In 1993, 
he began consulting and grant writing, and was instrumental in the 
opening of the health clinic ``Clinicas Del Pueblo'' in Mecca, CA. 
Mecca, primarily a farming community, lacks access to basic health care 
and health education facilities.
  Continuing with his service to underserved communities of Southern 
California, Mr. Deharo returned to the Coachella Valley in 1998 and in 
collaboration with another passionate health advocate, Rosa Lucas, they 
contributed to the opening of another clinic ``Santa Rosa Del Valle'' 
in Coachella, CA. Currently Mr. Deharo is Chief Contracts Officer for 
Borrego Community Health Foundation. And soon will be the Director of 
Contracting and Business Development for Clinicas Del Camino Real, Inc. 
in Ventura County, Ca.
  Mr. Deharo recognizes the urgent needs that medically underserved 
communities struggle with on a daily basis. As a resident of the 
Coachella Valley, and as a Doctor, I thank Mr. Deharo for his life's 
work to provide better healthcare access to the rural and underserved 
communities of the Coachella Valley.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the thousands of families and children who 
have access to a Doctor through the health clinics that Mr. Deharo 
helped make possible, I would like to offer my sincerest thanks to Mr. 
Deharo, and look forward to continuing to support his legacy.

                          ____________________