Care Providers

Leilani is a board certified physician assistant focusing on family medicine in underserved communities. Lei’s passion and enthusiasm over the years have made her a patient favorite at UCHC.  Leilani received her B.S. in Biology from University of California, Irvine in 1995 and and earned her Master of Physician Assistant Practice  from University of Southern California - Keck School of Medicine in 2008.  Interesting Fact: Leilani lived in Honolulu, HI for several years and is fluent in Spanish.

Teresa Sanchez is a board certified physician assistant that specializes in dermatology. Ms. Sanchez is a highly sought after hair, skin, and nail specialist. She is known for providing her patients with a personalized and thoughtful approach. She is committed to helping her patients achieve optimal wellness and improved quality of life.

Isabelle Pamart-Tran studied in France before earning a Bachelor from the University of California Irvine in 2004 and a Master in Public Health with a focus on Epidemiology & Biostatistics in 2008.  Isabelle is a board-certified Physician Assistant who finished her training in family medicine at USC Keck School of Medicine in 2013 and who also specializes in pediatric and adult otolaryngology (Ear-Nose-Throat).  Isabelle is following her dreams in dedicating her life to helping underserved communities and providing each patient with a customized plan towards wellbeing.

Judith Onyepunuka is a board certified Physician Assistant whose focus is in family medicine. Judith earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Southern California, where she has since worked in primary care.  She is committed to disease prevention and promoting healthy lifestyles.   She loves to set goals with her patient and encourage them to become the best version of themselves. Her true passion is education and providing quality care to patients in underserved communities. ​Fun Fact: Judith was previously a 4th grade teacher and still loves to teach kids. 

Jessica Flores is a board certified Physician Assistant, focusing on Family Medicine. Jessica earned her graduate degree from the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, where she has since worked in Primary Care.  She is fully committed to providing quality care to patients in underserved communities. Jessica is passionate about reaching goals with her patient and encourages them to become the best version of themselves.  ​ Fun Fact: Jessica is  recipient of the NHSC Scholarship from University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine

Saul Shapira received his Master of Clinical Medical Science from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida.  He has over 5 years of clinical experience working with underserved populations in South Los Angeles, focusing on prevention and healthy lifestyle. ​ Saul was born and raised in Los Angeles.  He is an avid traveler and hiker.  In 2021 he successfully reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.

Kristyl Felix is a board certified Physician Assistant focusing on primary care in underserved communities. She received her B.S. in Biology from the University of California, Irvine and her Master of Physician Assistant Practice from the Keck USC School of Medicine. Kristyl is a native Spanish speaker and was raised in Huntington Park, California. She is a National Health Service Corps scholar and founder of the USC PA NHSC Awardees Association at the Keck USC PA Program. Kristyl’s background is what inspired her to work in primary care with underserved populations. She is dedicated to providing influential patient care and is committed to encouraging people to take control of their health. Her aspirations are to improve and advance patient health by providing competent, compassionate healthcare to all patients. Fun Fact: Kristyl has a minor in Film and Media Studies from the University of California, Irvine and enjoys finding new ways to implement her skills in the healthcare setting. Along with providing patient care, Kristyl is creating patient educational video content to help increase awareness, knowledge, and understanding of medical topics.

Joseline Ochoa is a board certified physician assistant that graduated from the University of Southern California's Primary Care Physician Assistant Program. She received her bachelor's degree in General Biology and Public Health from the University of California San Diego which included an internship in Oaxaca, Mexico on binational health and traditional medicine. She speaks fluent English and Spanish.  Joseline is passionate about community health and prevention. She is committed to providing excellent care to patients. Being from South LA, Joseline is an Angeleno at heart, and UCHC is located in the communities she grew up in. Ask her about local resources, such as local parks and programs to reach health goals! 

Emily Lara is a board certified PA who graduated from the Primary Care Physician Assistant Program at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Emily received her BS in Biopsychology from the University of California Santa Barbara. She speaks fluent English and Spanish. Emily was born and raised in Los Angeles. She is passionate about providing quality care to patients in underserved communities. In her free time Emily volunteers for a non-profit that provides healthcare to uninsured individuals. When Emily isn’t at work she enjoys hiking with her dog, going to concerts, and traveling.

Sergio Chavez is a highly dedicated and compassionate Board-Certified Physician Assistant (PA) who possesses an unwavering commitment to serving the South Los Angeles community. With his extensive medical knowledge and empathetic approach, Sergio has become an invaluable asset in providing comprehensive healthcare to underserved populations.

Francesca Reinisch is a highly dedicated and compassionate medical professional working at the Universal Community Health Center in South Los Angeles. With a wealth of experience and expertise in the medical field, Francesca is known for her unwavering commitment to providing quality healthcare services to underserved communities.

Gabriela Flores is a Bilingual Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience providing mental health services in health settings. Gabriela has a BA in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley, a Master’s in Social Work from USC and has been licensed in the state of CA since 2015. She has experience helping patients address a wide variety of mental health symptoms and disorders including but, not limited to: Depression, Anxiety, other Mood Disorders, Trauma, PTSD, Grief/Loss, Phase of Life Challenges, Stress Mgmt, Adjustment Disorders, etc. Gabriela works with adults, older adults, adolescents and children. Her approach is client centered, culturally sensitive and incorporates several therapeutic modalities to best serve each individual patient needs. 

Desiree Montanez, ACSW, is a dedicated social worker whose passion for community health and welfare shines through her work at Universal Community Health Center in South Los Angeles.

Sonia is accredited by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and holds a BA in Psychology from UCLA and a Masters in Nutritional Science from CSULA.  She is also a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and adjunct faculty member at Pacific Oaks College, she teaches an undergraduate course in nutrition.  Sonia has completed an Adult Weight Management training certificate.  She does have experience working with both pediatrics and adults.  She has several years of experience teaching classes in numerous community nutrition programs that focus on disease prevention. Her drive is to empower people to find sustainable ways to live healthier lifestyles.

Dr. Marin received her BS in Chemistry from Cal State University Dominguez Hills in 2015 and her DMD from Western University of Health Sciences School of Dental Medicine. ​ She has always been passionate about oral health and believes everyone should get the help they need. Her goal is to create awareness about the importance of oral health and how it affects the body. Dr. Marin strives to make people feel comfortable visiting the dentist and believes in treating everyone with compassion. Dr. Marin loves spending time with her family and friends, especially her nieces and nephews. ​ She also plays a lot of basketball, is a HUGE Lakers fan, and is fluent in Spanish. 

Dr. Ansari Received his B.S. in Microbiology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and his DMD from Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine. He is passionate about leveling the access of care for dental needs across communities of varying gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic background. Dr. Ansari seeks to create a new dental experience that is caring, conservative and puts education at the forefront to prevent diseases. He is specifically striving to prevent early childhood dental diseases in an effort to influence young people to take care of themselves at an early age.  In his off time, Dr. Ansari loves spending time with his girlfriend, family and dog. He also loves to cook and try new restaurants in the Los Angeles area.