Gines, who is also an Executive Board Member of the National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) - the companion organization of PAF, providing the patient voice in improving access to, and reimbursement for, high-quality healthcare through regulatory and legislative reform at the state and federal levels - founded Dia de la Mujer Latina (DLM) in 1997 in recognition of the need to promote greater health awareness to the underserved Latino community. Today, DLM Health Fiestas have provided culturally and linguistically specific health education and screening, follow-up care and navigation for follow-up services to poor, underserved, and uninsured Latinos in over 30 cities in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, with successful outreach to nearly 55,000 women of all races and ethnicities.

"We are so very pleased to have Venus Gines contributing her valuable expertise and dedication in helping advance PAF's and NPAF's shared mission of helping patients in need gain access to important medical care services," said Nancy Davenport-Ennis, Founder and CEO of PAF and NPAF. "Venus is such an esteemed advocate for Latinos as well as for all patients, and we commend the First Lady for inviting her testimony on patient access to care challenges that are central to reforming American health care. On behalf of the patients we serve, we urge the Administration to address this concern in health care reform."

SOURCE Patient Advocate Foundation