Health Care for the Homeless Staff

Ralph Barbosa - Program Administrator

Ralph Barbosa has worked for the Public Health Department since 2005.  Ralph began as a Departmental Assistant assigned as Contract Administrator for Probation Medical Services.  In 2007, Ralph became the Program Administrator for Health Care for the Homeless and now has responsibility for both programs.

Ralph was born and raised in Santa Barbara.  From 1995 to 2005 he traveled the world while working for United Airlines.  During that time, Ralph was elected as President of the Association of Flight Attendants and specialized in Workers’ Compensation programs and contract negotiations.

Ralph currently attends Santa Barbara City College part-time, pursuing his goal to obtain both Business Management and Liberal Arts degrees.  Ralph plans to transfer to Antioch University in the Fall of 2012.

In his free time Ralph enjoys spending time with family and friends, and is the advisor for a local non-profit retreat group.

David Lennon, M.D. - Medical Director

Dr. Lennon received his medical degree from Howard Univ College of Medicine in Washington, DC, and completed residency training at the Univ of South Florida.  Dr. Lennon served as Medical Director at Bucktail Medical Center in rural Pennsylvania prior to his move to the West Coast. 

In 2008, Dr Lennon joined Santa Barbara Public Health Department as Supervising Physician for the Santa Maria Health Care Center.  Dr. Lennon was subsequently appointed Medical Director for the County Health Care for the Homeless program.

Dr. Lennon is grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Santa Barbara County, and proud of the level of care provided to County patients.  Under his leadership, many new initiatives have been implemented or are being piloted to improve access to care and the overall health of our community.
 

Duane DeAmicis, FNP - Family Nurse Practicioner 

Duane DeAmicis began his career as a Nurse Practitioner in 1986.  After completing a BS degree in psychology at UC Davis, he worked for Solano County Mental Health.  He received both his Bachelors and Masters in Nursing from UC San Francisco, and worked for ten years at San Francisco General Hospital providing health care to underserved populations. 

Duane then relocated to Sacramento and joined the UC Davis FNP/PA Program as a faculty member.  The mission of this program is to prepare clinicians for practice with underserved populations.  While teaching in the School of Medicine, he provided health care to urban underserved patients at the UC Davis Family Practice Clinic. 

He joined the Public Health Department in 2010 and appreciates the opportunity to provide health care services to the homeless and other underserved populations of Santa Barbara County.

Marisa Pearson Tyler, FNP - Family Nurse Practicioner

Marisa began her career with Public Health Department in 2002 after completing her undergraduate education. Marisa later returned to school and graduated from Columbia University in NYC in 2007, receiving her Masters of Nursing with a focus in Family Medicine.  Marisa was also the recipient of the CAPNA award for academic excellence and commitment to care for vulnerable populations. 

It was Marisa’s career goal to one day return to her hometown of Santa Barbara and work for the PHD where she originally discovered her love of patient care and the practice of medicine.  Marisa has been employed by the PHD as a Family Nurse Practitioner since the Fall of 2008, dividing her time between the County Healthcare for the Homeless program and Urgent Care at Franklin Healthcare Center.  In her spare time Marisa enjoys traveling to new places, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Josef Lemire, FNP - Family Nurse Practicioner

Josef Lemire earned a BA in Liberal Arts with an emphasis on Literature from the University of Montana.  He then taught English in high school and also in Guatemala.  While in Guatemala, he became interested in medicine after accompanying a Dutch physician who was working in the mountains there with the Maya.  Upon return to his Montana home he returned to school studying to enter the medical profession.  He earned his BSN from University of San Francisco.  A few years later studied for his FNP at Stanford University’s mid-level program and graduated in 1994. 

Josef had worked in Family Practice in Montana and California and also overseas in Sikkim, India and Papua New Guinea. He joined the Santa Barbara Public Health Department in 2012  to work in Urgent Care and for the county’s Health Care for the Homeless clinics.

Robert Martin, PA-C - Physician Assistant - Certified

Robert graduated from Charles Drew University/Martin Luther King Hospital Physician Assistant Program in South Central, Los Angeles with honors in 1996.  He started with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Dept in December of that year and been there ever since.  Robert took a vow at Charles Drew to always serve those who are less fortunate economically.  He has taken that vow very seriously and considers himself a dedicated servant and honored to care for the homeless and underserved.  Speaking Spanish is another comfort Robert offers to all the Hispanic clients who don’t speak English.

Iva Larkin, R.N., PHN - Public Health Nurse

Iva Larkin received her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from California State University Bakersfield and has been working for the Public Health Department since 2002.  Iva has worked in many different areas of the PHD.  She was first hired at the Lompoc Health Center as a Registered Nurse, and then transferred to Public Health Nursing.  Iva has also worked in Maternal Child and Adolescent Health, and Disease Control.

Iva began working for the Health Care for the Homeless program in 2006.  Working with the homeless population brings her great satisfaction and fulfills her heart.  Iva also enjoys helping and assisting people in need.  Before joining the PHD team Iva worked in the Critical Care Unit/Intensive Care Unit in Bakersfield, and still works as a reserve staff RN at Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria.  Iva’s passion outside of work is her children, and she loves to spend time with them traveling and experiencing new places, foods, and cultures.  Iva says, "Memories -  creating them so they can last a lifetime, that is what life's about.  Live, laugh, love, that's the favorite saying!".
 

Colleen Jensen, R.N., PHN - Public Health Nurse

Colleen Jensen earned her Bachelors of Science in Nursing at San Francisco State University and gained experience in labor and delivery, post partum, NICU, and OR at both Kaiser Hospital San Francisco, and Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa, CA.  In her free time, Colleen enjoys camping, hiking, and bicycling with her husband and six year old daughter.

Colleen has been a  Public Health Nurse for Santa Barbara County since 2002 when she began working for the Maternal Child Health Program, as well as the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Since 2007 Colleen has enjoyed working for the Healthcare for the Homeless program in Lompoc.
 

Anne Lucier, R.N., PHN - Public Health Nurse

Annie Lucier has been a Registered Nurse since 1996.  Annie completed the Registered Nursing Program at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from California State University Dominguez Hills in 2004. Prior to working with the Public Health Department, Annie worked in labor and delivery, well baby nursery and post partum care.

In April 2006, Annie joined the Public Health Department, working as a Public Health Nurse in both the Maternal Child Health Program and the Health Care for the Homeless Program in Lompoc.  In addition to her work for these programs, Annie also worked with Children’s Mental Health Services in Santa Maria and Disease Control in Santa Barbara.  Annie currently works full- time for the Healthcare for the Homeless Program in Santa Barbara.
 

Medical Assistants (MA)

Lorena Chavez

Amalia Flores

Francisco Rivera

Health Service Aides (HSA)

Anna Avila

Jose Ruiz

Administrative Office Professional

Silvia Contreras