Leadership
Thomas R. Ortiz, MD, FAAFP, Medical Director
Thomas R. Ortiz, MD, FAAFP, is the Medical Director for the Center of Excellence for Latino Health at Clara Maass Medical Center.
Dr. Ortiz graduated from Upsala College in East Orange, NJ with a B.S. in Biochemistry. He earned early acceptance into NJ Medical School in Newark, NJ where he earned his medical degree. One of a very few Latinos in medical school at the time, he helped to found and create a national organization, the Boricua/Latino Health Organization, with the goal and purpose of improving the quality health care delivered to the Latino community through student advocacy.
Dr. Ortiz attended the Family Practice Residency program at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, NJ and is Board Certified in Family Medicine. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and a Fellow of the Office of the National Coordinator.
Dr. Ortiz was instrumental in the establishment of the Office of Minority Health, the Garden State Health Plan, NJ Medicaid Managed Care, the Essex and Union Local Area Planning board (LAB) for the State Health Plan, NJ Kids Care and the Community Partnership to Immunize Newark’s Kids.
He was awarded the first ASPIRA, Inc. of NJ Alumni of the Year Award and this year was inducted into the ASPIRA Hall of Fame. Dr. Ortiz was honored to receive an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Bloomfield College, in Bloomfield, NJ in recognition of his community advocacy and commitment to primary health care delivery. He has been recognized by the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders as ‘Physician of the Year’ and by City of Newark Council President Mildred Crump as a ‘Man of Vision.’
A distinguished Associate Professor of Family Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Dr. Ortiz has trained numerous medical students and residents in the art and practice of Family and Community Medicine.
Dr. Ortiz achieved his dream and dedicated the opening of the Forest Hill Medical Arts Center for Family and Specialty Care on Mt. Prospect Avenue in Newark, NJ, to providing the community with access to a wide array of primary care services, specialty physicians, rehabilitation services and culturally competent family medical services. The Forest Hill Family Health Associates, PA has received the recognition of the National Council of Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient Centered Medical Home.
Sarah B. Bonilla, MPH, Program Manager
Sarah Bonilla is of Ecuadorian descent and graduated first in her immediate family from Montclair State University with a master’s degree in Public Health with a Concentration in Community Health Education.
She has experience working in schools teaching lessons on girl’s empowerment and health education lessons. Proceeding graduation Sarah did a year of service in Quito, Ecuador for a non-profit organization named The Working Boys’ Center a Family of Families. During her year abroad she taught English to middle school girls, health education, assisted in special education as well as teaching the parents of those children how to read, write and do basic mathematics. Her journey in Quito gave her the experiences she needed to continue her passion of community outreach, health education and advocacy for the underserved.
Sarah’s bilingual background has allowed her to have impact on the communities she has served and her position as the Program Manager for the Center of Excellence for Latino Health ties together all her experiences into one. Community outreach and wellness are two of her passions. She looks forward to connecting the Latino community to health services available at Clara Maass Medical Center by communicating effectively and developing a strong relationship with the community and its partners.