Title: 1) Chief of Medical Operations, Mountain Health and Wellness

Company: 2) Director, Governor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families

Location: Apache Junction, AZ

Apache Junction, Arizona, December 16, 2010, Maria Elena Ochoa, Chief of Medical Operations at Mountain Health and Wellness, and Director of the Governor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families, has been recognized by Elite American Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in health and wellness operations.

For more than 30 years, Ms. Ochoa has infused a multidimensional approach into her social work. As the chief of medical operations at Mountain Health and Wellness, she is pertinently responsible for integrating primary care into behavioral, mental, health and substance-abuse services. She also facilitates collaboration among state agencies and community-based organizations to coordinate appropriate outreach programs for patients. With many opportunities to build new services from scratch, Ms. Ochoa has experienced a career adorned with innovative success.

In addition to her role at Mountain Health and Wellness, Ms. Ochoa serves as the director of the Governor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families. By believing in herself, she has been able to visualize and materialize her goals and utilize them to give accessories and care to underserved communities and populations. In her role as director, she excels in overseeing the division for women, and staffing the governor’s commission to prevent violence again women. Further, she represents the governor at community events and presentations, manages grants and statewide outreach, and negotiates contracts.

A pivotal moment in Ms. Ochoa’s career occurred when she completed a Master of Business Administration, with an emphasis in health care administration, from the University of Phoenix. The degree is a rarity in the field of social sciences; thus, it gave Ms. Ochoa a broader perspective with which to work. Further, she took many leadership training opportunities to catapult her frame of reference and approach her patients in a pioneering way. In addition to her MBA, Ms. Ochoa earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Arizona State University in 1993.

Prior to her work with Mountain Health and Wellness, Ms. Ochoa had already established herself in the health care field. As the director of behavioral health services for the Marc Center, where she worked for 24 years, she obtained funding for, developed, licensed, accredited and managed $8 million of new business in critical areas such as general mental health, serious mental illness, and co-occurring disorders. She refined her skills for health care administration while making a difference in others lives. For Ms. Ochoa, achieving positive outcomes from her endeavors is the most rewarding aspect of her career.

Ms. Ochoa was also a part of the executive leadership team at Valle del Sol from 2003 to 2007. She began as the vice president of prevention and family services and earned a promotion to chief operating officer. By spearheading an organizational assessment and corporate cultural change initiative, she was able to work with a team of directors to develop Valle del Sol’s first annual outcome evaluation and agency-wide business plan. Ms. Ochoa’s comprehensive knowledge and experience in business administration has made for a strong dynamic with her current endeavors as a health care professional.

An award-winning executive, Ms. Ochoa was named Professional of the Year representing Public Service and Outreach by Cambridge Who’s Who in 2010. Further, she was the recipient of Gamma Alpha Omega’s Latina excellence award for science and medicine. Recognized as the executive vice president of the Phoenix chapter for the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, she participates in voluntary efforts with the Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, the Arizona Women’s Heritage Trail, the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame, the Arizona Council of Human Service Providers, the Mountain Park Health Center, and the Arizona Community Foundation Latina Giving Circle.

Contact Maria Elena Ochoa