Judith Shaplin
CEO
Mountain Health & Community Services, Inc.
1620 Alpine Boulevard
Alpine, CA 91901
619-445-6200

Please describe your background and current activities and work related to the rural health industry:

I have advocated extensively on the County, State and Federal levels for improved health care access for rural communities in California. I have worked in rural health community clinics for over 24+ (RHCS and then converted it to rural FQHC-2002) for over 23 years.

Please list recent organizational and leadership skills of importance to rural health:

I have received leadership/adovocacy training from NRHA/Federal office of Rural Health Policy. I have served on many committees and boards that address rural health access to care issues, including reimbursement, resources, etc. I participated in the founding of CSRHa and was first elected to CSRHA in 1998 serving for 7 years. June 2010 will end my first term on CSRHA Board for this tenure.

Please describe why you want to serve on the Board of Directors and what contribution you see making to the organization:

Being on the CSRHA Board of Directors is important since it addresses the critical need for rural services and it brings diversity together on how we can be a strong voice for all of the rural residents/communities that we serve.

Biography:

Judith Shaplin, a former resident of rural East County for 34 years, has been working with Mountain Health & Community Services (MHCS) since 1985.  Under her leadership, services have increased beyond primary care, moving toward comprehensive health care including x-ray, mental health, and health education.  Teleradiology, with instant read from Mercy Hospital, prevention and education programs, and assistance to families in need of health insurance have been added.   A school-based satellite clinic at Mt. Empire Jr/Sr High School was opened July 2003.

In 1998, Judith accepted the responsibility of operations at Mt. Empire Community Center, located in Campo, when no other community organization was able to provide the necessary infrastructure.  This community center houses the Mountain Empire Senior Nutrition Center offering senior meals at five community sites and delivered to the homebound, a computer learning center (one of San Diego’s 16 Power Up sites), a family literacy program, and hosts community forums and events.  Seniors are provided a “Cool Zone” during the hottest summer months.

Believing that the inclusion of community services enhances medical services and benefits the communities MHCS serves, outreach and education have always been a priority to Judith. This has taken the form of community-specific health fairs, prevention classes, newsletters, and messages home through school bulletins.  Holiday dinners for families (in cooperation with local service organizations), complete with toys, candy, games, and Santa Claus are offered in Jacumba and Campo.
Increasing visibility of rural San Diego County and its many un-addressed issues has been Ms. Shaplin’s trademark.  She has brought warmth, experience, and creativity to the process of bureaucratic advocacy, working tirelessly to ensure a “safety net” of services for isolated communities.  Seldom known to take “no” for an answer, she has spent years at the task of making connections and building relationships that will benefit the Mountain Empire area.

Judith has taken a leadership position in bringing together the disconnected communities of the region through collaboration.  Her efforts include the Back County Revitalization, the Mt. Empire Collaborative, the annual Heart of the Mountain Awards, the Rural Emergency Preparedness group, the San Diego Council of Community Clinics, the Southern California Rural Health Roundtable, and an active membership role in the California State Rural Health Association (CSRHA).

2010 CSRHA Board Elections