Ted Estrada

In one of my previous posts, St. Andrew's Children's Clinic, I introduced the resources the clinic has to help those in need. I would like to introduce the executive director of the clinc, Ted Estrada.

The first Thursday of every month Estrada travels to Nogales, Ariz. where hundreds of Mexican nationals not only wait for the old church doors to open but also for miracles to happen.

Originally a Los Angeles hospital administrator, Estrada was contemplating retirement when the Board of Directors from St. Andrew’s offered him the position of executive director. He accepted the position May 1, 2008.

“I've been involved in the health care field in one way or another,” Estrada said. “I've never done anything else.”

The transition between jobs wasn’t a difficult one, he says. The role of a health clinic executive director and a hospital administrator holds similar responsibilities.

"I used to tell my employees at the hospital that my job was like running a small city," Estrada said.

St. Andrew’s isn’t much different, he says. Estrada's main priority is to keep the clinic running smoothly while organizing the staff and volunteers so that they provide health care to as many patients as possible.

The volunteers and staff are the people who deserve the credit, Estrada said. Many of the volunteers are pleased to help because of the cause.

Dr. Alan Delman, F.A.C.S. (Foundation of American College Surgeons) is a retired plastic surgeon from Boston, Mass. who moved to Tucson, Ariz. 10 years ago. He heard about the clinic through word-of-mouth and has since volunteered almost every month.

“There aren’t many patients who are looking for nose jobs or face lifts,” Delman said sarcastically. "I do what I can to help those in need and hope it’s enough.”

Depending on the volunteer’s profession or specialty, determines in which area the volunteer works.

Estrada hopes to expand the services in the future. There are many children who are diagnosed with multiple disorders, he says. Expanding the service areas will give those children options. With the hope to expand the service areas, more doctors are needed, he says. Currently, the doctors are volunteers from Arizona and California. Ideally, Ted would like permanent doctors.

Although retiring was Estrada's original plan, he is happy working. Providing health care for children in need is rewarding in its own ways, he says.