Born in the United States, to parents who immigrated from Central America, Richard Espinoza’s upbringing in San Francisco’s Mission District was deeply influenced by a passion for social justice and a drive to serve others that continues to shape his role as chief administrative officer of post-acute services.
“Growing up I was always interested in social justice and while I didn’t know it by that name, I knew that my family and I were often marginalized and treated differently,” said Espinoza. “My original goal was to pursue a career in law to help others who also felt unseen because they were culturally different, spoke a different language or were not born in the United States.”
However, soon after graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, Espinoza had a change of heart when he began working in health care and quickly realized this too was a space where not all people feel seen, heard or given a voice to advocate for themselves.
After spending the first seventeen years of his health care career journey in the for-profit space he joined Alameda Health system (AHS) in 2012 where he could pursue his true purpose.
“At AHS, our ability to help anyone who needs health care regardless of their ability to pay spoke to the child in me,” shared Espinoza. “Here I knew I had found my home where I’m empowered to help our patients, residents, families and staff in ways I always hoped I could.”
Thanks to Espinoza’s leadership and his post-acute teams, AHS has consistently earned the Five Star Overall and Quality Ratings for all AHS skilled nursing and sub-acute units from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In addition, the three Alameda sites have also been recognized by Newsweek on their America’s Best Nursing Homes list.
“I want our staff to feel really proud of the care they provide,” shared Espinoza. “These accolades are a testament to their hard work and dedication for delivering compassionate, patient-centered care.”
Espinoza’s leadership philosophy is guided by a simple direction for staff to treat each resident as they would want their own family members to be treated. It’s a philosophy rooted in his upbringing.
“In the Hispanic culture there is a strong sense of pride where we honor and respect our elders and it’s centered warmly around home, family and food,” shared Espinoza. “How I love pupusas and Salvadorian tamales,” he said with a smile.
When asked what advice he would give his younger self growing up in the Mission District he shared, “Our greatest growth comes from the challenges we face along the way. I would encourage myself and others to always embrace and celebrate your differences in all forms.”
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Espinoza’s words remind us of the strength that lies in our unique backgrounds and life experiences and that working together we are paving the way to excellence for all.