Community health workers Los Angeles are at the center of patient care, building trust and delivering culturally rooted support in underserved Latino communities.
Why She Serves
Most of us didn’t plan to end up here. But something about this work, this community that made us stay. For some, it started with family.
Leti Guidel found Clínica Romero the way many in our community do, through family. Her mom was a patient and was always sharing how nice the girls were and how much she loved her doctor. It wasn’t just about care, but was how she felt.
“She felt valued,” Leti says. “Like they actually cared.”
So when her mom told her to apply, she did and got hired.
Not knowing that decision would change the next ten years of her life.
Before Clínica, her path wasn’t clear. “I was everywhere,” she says. From warehouse jobs. different roles to just trying to make it work. Until one moment shifted everything: “This is not going to be for me.”
She wanted something better for herself and her kids.
So she went back to school and chose healthcare. Because it meant something, it was already part of who she was. She wanted to be that person who shows up when people need her. She was searching for what she felt the first time she walked into Clinica Romero – COMMUNITY!
Why Clínica Matters
Leti didn’t have to learn what Clínica Romero represented.
She had already seen and lived it through her mom.
It was a place where patients aren’t rushed, dismissed, or overlooked. A place where they are seen. Ten years later, she’s now Lead Certified Medical Assistant at the Marengo site.
“I’m proud of my team,” she says. Because leadership, for her, isn’t about being in charge. It’s about how you show up—and what you expect from the people around you. She trains her team, supports them, sets the standard and reminds them, every day: We’re here for our patients!
Why the Community Needs This Work
For Lety, this work is personal. Her mom is a breast cancer survivor. And walking through that experience changed how she sees everything. “You think about your parents,” she says.
And then you realize. Not everyone has that. Not everyone has someone sitting next to them, asking questions, helping them understand what’s happening.
So when patients walk in, she sees more than a visit.
She sees someone’s parent. Someone trying to make sense of something difficult. “Think about your family,” she says.
“That’s how you should see your patients.”
She’s continues to share, “people don’t just come in for care.
They come in afraid.” And learning how to meet people in that moment—that’s been one of her biggest challenges.
How to communicate, how to create trust, how to bring calm into uncertainty. And it’s something she continues to grow in—every day.
Why It Feels Different Here
“We’re here for our community.” And you can feel it, that’s what makes us different. In the way patients are welcomed and in the way people are treated with dignity.
Her proudest moment? Her team.
“If it wasn’t for my team, we wouldn’t be able to take care of our patients.” Together, they carry the work and show up.
She encourages her team, “If the opportunity comes… take it.” Because growth doesn’t stop here. She wants them to build something better, for themselves and their families.
Just like she did. Leti wants to makes sure the women around her know there’s more ahead.
When asked to describe herself, she smiles. Her smile is contagious even over the phone. “One word? I have more than one…”
Respectful.
Communicative.
Mindful.
Fun.
Strict when needed.
Balanced. Real.
“It’s an honor” to serve at Clínica Romero. I love the community, our patients and where I am right now.
Before we close, she leaves one last reminder:
“Smile.” Smile everyday because sometimes, that’s what people remember most. Not the process. Not the paperwork. But how you made them feel and don’t forget the one reason we are here, for our patients.
In many ways, Leti’s story is our story.
It’s about finding your way. Choosing something better.
And becoming the person someone else can rely on.
The one who shows up, who cares, the one that makes someone feel seen.
And that—every single day—is HER IMPACT.
