LaSalle Celebrates 25 Years In Practice

Dr. Albert Arteaga circa 1995, when La Salle Medical Associates had been open for a little more than a decade.

Dr. Albert Arteaga recently. He is the founder and president of LaSalle Medical Associates, which recently celebrated 25 years in practice.

LaSalle Medical Associates is one of the top enrollers in the state in the Healthy Families program, which makes health care affordable for children in low and moderate income families. One of the ways LaSalle made people aware of this program is by having employees stand in front of the clinics in costume, as these two women are doing in front of the Mt. Vernon clinic in San Bernardino.

The San Bernardino County Medical Society recognized Dr. Albert Arteaga for outstanding contributions to the community.


Dr. Albert Arteaga, and his wife Maria, with an award he received from the San Bernardino County Medical Society for outstanding contributions to the community.


La Salle Medical Associates held a health fair at its Fontana office, which opened in 1984 as the first in the LaSalle Medical Associates clinics.


(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) On the first day, owner Dr. Albert Arteaga and his wife Maria, then employed as his nurse and still his chief assistant, saw two patients at their clinic in Fontana. Today, La Salle Medical Associates has grown to four clinics and 120 employees, and an Independent Practice Association (IPA) serving more than 100 doctors.

La Salle Medical Associates celebrates its 25th anniversary this month, having seen its first two patients on June 13, 1984.

“I think 25 years shows we have been doing a good thing, and we have been doing it for a long time,” Dr. Arteaga said. “It proves two things. Number One, we are honest. Number two we are reliable. We aren’t here today and gone tomorrow. In the medical field, being solid means being reputable and reliable.”

Dr. Arteaga has built his practice with a philosophy that everyone deserves quality health care, and to be treated by his or her physician with dignity and respect. La Salle Medical Associate clinics welcome low income, elderly and disabled patients. They accept most insurance.

As founder and CEO of LaSalle’s four Inland Empire clinics, Dr. Arteaga set out to not just aid those in need, but to change patients’ perception of “going to the doctor.” He explains, “I want everyone to feel that going to the doctor is no more intimidating than going to the grocery store.”
A recent survey of nearly 300 LaSalle patients showed that fully 100 percent of those surveyed believed their doctor and other staff had listened carefully, explained things and treated them with respect.

In his 25 years in business, Dr. Arteaga has strived not only to be a great physician, but also a good businessman. Treating patients (customers) with respect helped him build a solid customer base, who in turn has recommended LaSalle Medical Associates to their friends and family, and some of who now have chosen LaSalle for their health care needs for three generations.

Dr. Arteaga has also focused on keeping expenses low. And he has helped many patients who might otherwise struggle to pay for even basic medical care to find insurance that will foot the bill.

Since Dr. Arteaga’s practice was pediatrics, La Salle Medical Associates initially focused on serving children of the lower income and disabled. Dr Arteaga quickly realized there were even greater community needs.

With his guidance, LaSalle expanded its service to include family and internal medicine, and obstetrics/gynecology. All stemming from Arteaga’s “obligation to “help whenever I can.”

Public and professional recognition has not escaped LaSalle Medical Associates and Dr. Arteaga. Earlier this year the California Medical Association awarded him the “Ethnic Physician’s Leadership Award for 2008,” recognizing his contributions to medical care in the Latino community. He also was named one of the top 15 Latino-owned businesses in the Inland Empire by Hispanic Lifestyle magazine.

For his efforts to provide healthcare services to the Inland Empire’s children, Arteaga was awarded the San Bernardino County Medical Society’s Merlin Hendrickson M.D. Award for his outstanding contribution to the community.

Inland Empire Health Plan selected the clinics as Riverside and San Bernardino counties’ best healthcare provider, while the African American Health Initiative selected LaSalle as a “model provider” of Black healthcare in San Bernardino County.

The San Bernardino Board of Supervisors has presented Dr. Arteaga the Resolution Award for his outstanding community efforts, and the Inland Empire Health Plan awarded LaSalle Medical Associates a Proclamation Award in appreciation of outstanding community work and for being the state’s number one enroller of the Healthy Families program, an insurance plan for children of low- to middle-income families.

The LaSalle Medical Associates clinics are at 17577 Arrow Blvd. in Fontana, 1505 West 17th St. and 565 N. Mt. Vernon Ave. in San Bernardino, and 16455 Main St. in Hesperia

For additional information about LaSalle Medical Associates, call (909) 890-0407 or go on line to lasallemedical.com.

Upland Boutique Gets New Look With Help From Students

Dahlia’s Boutique owner Martha Smith and The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire Academic Director for Fashion Sherry West watch as the Fashion & Retail Marketing students transform the boutique as part of a class project in the course “Visual Merchandising.” Photo by Robert Swapp


Jenny De La Mora and Jessica Lundy, who are enrolled in The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire Fashion & Retail Marketing program, turn a lamppost into a clothing display as part of their class project to make over Dahlia’s Boutique in Upland. Photo by Robert Swapp

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) When marketing fashion; presentation means a lot.

Students in The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire’s Fashion & Retail Marketing program learned how much difference a great presentation makes when they took on the job of transforming Dahlia’s Boutique, an upscale and well-stocked clothing boutique in Upland. They spent most of the Spring 2009 term devising plans for this makeover, and completed the work recently.

“It’s an amazing transformation,” said Martha Smith, owner of Dahlia’s Boutique, the next day. “I am pleased with all the creative ideas the students have.”

Fashion & Retail Marketing students enrolled in the Visual Merchandising course took on the job, at the recommendation of Academic Director for Fashion Sherry West. After meeting with Smith earlier this year, she realized the Fashion & Retail Marketing students would have a great hands-on learning opportunity if they worked with Smith to give her boutique a new look.

“It is so wonderful to see the students taking what they have learned out of the classroom and into a project for a real fashion boutique,” West said.

Luis Garcia, the Visual Merchandising instructor, is also pleased with what his students came up with for the final project.

“It was excellent,” he said. “I am amazed with all the ideas they have. These students are in their first year of study now. When they graduate in a few years, the impact they will make on fashion marketing is going to really shake things up.”

Dahlia’s Boutique is now arranged into distinct areas. Up front, a trend shop alerts customers to the latest fashion trends. Other areas focus on clothing, with items now arranged by “color story,” that is in eye-catching color combinations such as purple, lavender and brown. Yet another area focuses on handbags and accessories.

The Fashion & Retail Marketing students also updated the lighting and fixtures. Fixtures take on a new meaning with this transformation, Garcia explained, because the students arranged clothing on unconventional items such as an old armchair.

Students worked in four teams to create the transformation. They democratically elected three students to head the four teams. Garcia assigned other students to work with them.

Adam Cintas, whom Garcia describes as “ a real go-getter,” led the teams “Handbags and Accessories” and “Merchandising,” the team setting up the clothing displays.”

The “Fixtures and Trend Shop” team, led by Shannon Valenzuela created the Trend Shop display near the front of the store and arranged for the unconventional display fixtures, such as the armchair.

Jenny De La Mora headed the “Mannequins and Lighting” team. This group created displays with newly outfitted mannequins, and highlighted them with special lighting.

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. It offers an Associate of Science degree in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design.

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Management.

Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.

It’s not too late to start a new term at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin July 13 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.

For more information, or to arrange a tour, call The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire at (909) 915-2100 or go on line to www.artinstitutes.edu/InlandEmpire.

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire is one of the Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu/), a system of over 40 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.

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Community Heroes Sought

2008 Black Rose Award Winner Velda Griffin

2008 Black Rose Award Winner Terrence Stone

2008 Black Rose Award Winner Roy Mabry

2008 Commitment to Service Award Winner, the Rev. Gwen Rose

2008 Black Rose Award Winner Leah Cash

2008 Humanitarian of the Year James McCombs

2008 Black Rose Award Winner, Dr. Paulette Brown Hinds

2008 Black Rose Award Winner Beulah Pitts

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – Some people have made a career of helping others. And some have done even more than that.

If you know someone whose passion is to help make the community better for others, , the Black Culture Foundation wants to know about them. It is seeking nominations for its Black Rose, Humanitarian of the Year and Community Service awards.

“We are looking for someone whose volunteer efforts go over and above their job related activities,” said Margaret Hill, program chairman of the Black Culture Foundation. “These are unsung heroes, people who volunteer with multiple organizations or give all of their spare time to one. They never seek their own glory, but simply want to make their community a better place to live.”

To nominate someone for this award, contact Hill at marrobhill@aol.com, or call her at (909) 864-3267. Nominations are due Friday, July 31.

Although the awards program focuses on the Black community in San Bernardino, Hill says, an award winner need not be Black, nor a resident of the city. Many community leaders in law enforcement, education and other public venues have been recognized, and people living in places such as Riverside, Chino, Rialto and Fontana have received the awards in honor of work done to benefit the Inland Empire as a whole.

The Foundation is selling tickets to the awards ceremony, which takes place, Friday Sept. 11 at the National Orange Show - Valencia Room, 689 South E Street, San Bernardino.

Tickets purchased before Aug. 14, 2009 are $50 per person, or $500 for a table of 10. Tickets purchased after that date are $60 per person or $600 for a table of 10.

To order tickets or reserve a table, contact Hill at (909) 864-3267.