Chief Executive Officer Christine Noguera, who has led Community Medical Centers (CMC) during a decade-long period of unprecedented growth, will retire from her position on Nov. 1, Board President Jasmine Leek announced. Known for collaboration and innovation, Noguera has dedicated her distinguished career to community health and is an active and influential leader.
“Christine has embodied innovation and resilience, leading CMC through difficult challenges with an unwavering spirit of excellence. Her visionary leadership has spurred significant growth and stabilization of our health centers and enhanced healthcare delivery through impactful programs and partnerships,” Leek said. “We are deeply thankful for her commitment to nurturing leadership and fostering a culture of whole-person care. Christine’s immeasurable contributions and collaborative relationship with the Board have laid a strong foundation for the future. We are grateful for the time Christine has given CMC and know that her influence will continue to inspire and guide us.”
“This has not been an easy decision for me,” Noguera admitted. “I have truly enjoyed working with the amazing, dedicated people at CMC who strengthen our communities by ensuring that everyone has access to the healthcare they need and deserve. These 10 years have been challenging, but they have also been incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. Together we have moved CMC forward, opening new sites and adding new services, focusing on quality, and building a brand that is well-recognized and valued in our communities. It’s going to be very difficult to leave.”
CMC served 71,000 patients in 2014, the year Noguera joined the four-person executive team. In 2023, led by a team of eight executives, it served nearly 114,000 patients. Under Noguera’s leadership, CMC has experienced record growth, opening 16 new sites, expanding its scope of services, creating hundreds of jobs, and saving the region’s overall health system over $200 million annually. A new Lodi site offering medical, dental, and behavioral health care will open late this year. With an annual budget of $145 million, CMC is now one of the largest Federally Qualified Health Centers in the nation and one of the most comprehensive, providing substance use treatment, offering sobering services, and operating a residential location where patients can begin the process of recovering from addiction.
CMC has remained nimble as it has grown. When the pandemic hit in 2020, CMC pivoted within days to begin providing telehealth on a large scale, helping to ensure the safety of staff, patients, and the larger community.
Under Noguera’s leadership, CMC was able to meet the demands of the extended pandemic with grace, innovation, and a spirit of united purpose. In addition to leading CMC, Noguera has served on the boards of Aliados Health, the California Primary Care Association, the Central Valley Health Network, the Community Health Leadership Council of San Joaquin, the Health Commission of San Joaquin, and the Solano Coalition for Better Health.
Kittleman & Associates, an executive search firm dedicated exclusively to recruiting leaders for non-profit organizations, will assist in the effort to find the next CEO. The CMC board and senior leadership will work closely with Kittleman to appoint a new CEO before Noguera retires.
Community Medical Centers is a growing non-profit network of neighborhood health centers serving San Joaquin and Solano counties. CMC provides primary medical, dental, and behavioral health care along with supportive services to individuals and families in need. To learn more about CMC, visit cmcenters.org.
