Lisa Lestishock commutes from Oakland on Bart and then bikes 15 miles across the Dumbarton Bridge to RFHC. “It’s my contribution to the environment,” she says. It’s a 30-mile roundtrip and it’s good for me.” Take note --her determination is matched by a high level of dedication.

Lisa is a graduate of UCSF’s excellent pediatric nurse practitioner program. She first learned about community medicine as a public health nurse at a clinic in the barrio of Guatemala City. There she was exposed to the harsh reality of raising children in poverty. She was assigned to visit a family that lived in a shack perched on the embankment of a river. When she arrived, she found the children locked inside; the mother was at work. It was for their safety.

That awareness carries over into her work with families at RFHC. “Poverty prevails here too.”

She knows that many immigrant parents of pediatric patients grew up in the poverty of Mexico; many had to go to work before completing 6 th grade. They can’t read, even in Spanish. That’s a set back for their children. Lisa suggests an alternative. “Use the pictures in the book and make a story of your own. This way your children will become familiar with books.”

Speech delay is another problem that is fairly common. After ruling out a hearing problem, the next step is to work with the parent to help them understand how important it is to communicate and interact with their children, to give positive reinforcement, to encourage the child’s curiosity and to help them explore. So much is at stake in the early stages of child development. The pediatric team at RFHC knows that coaching and encouraging parents is an essential part of providing good pediatric care.

Lisa has been on the pediatric team since 2002. “Working at RFHC is a privilege,” she says. “I confer and work with an excellent pediatric team.” Led by Associate Medical Director for Pediatrics Dr. Reshma Thadani, the team includes Dr. Elizabeth Baca, Dr. Lisa Chamberlain, Dr. Janice Lowe, Dr. Dana Weintraub, Jocelyn Whitson, RN and Jenny Galindo, RN. Visit our website to read brief bios of these exceptional women. One thing they share in common; they are drawn to community medicine and have chosen RFHC. We are very fortunate to have them on our staff.