Office of the Public Guardian Wins 2025 Steve Ambriz Award at Health Care Agency

Dear OCEA member,

We want to extend our congratulations to the Specialized Medical Services Office of the Public Guardian at HCA (pictured above) for winning the 2025 Steve Ambriz Team Excellence Award! The HCA/OCEA Labor Management Committee presented the award on March 12. The award was created to inspire teams at HCA to show effective communication, accountability, enthusiasm, creativity, and collaboration—and was made in honor of Steve Ambriz, an HCA employee and Orange City Council member, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2006.

About the Team

The Office of the Public Guardian supports some of Orange County’s most vulnerable residents. This includes adults and older adults who are gravely disabled and cannot meet basic needs due to mental illness, cognitive impairment, or complex medical conditions. Over the past year, the team strengthened partnerships with Adult Protective Services, Legal Aid, Social Services, and Behavioral Health. They held quarterly workshops for private conservators and managed cases involving severe financial abuse and complex criminal backgrounds. Deputized staff are available 24/7 to respond to emergencies and work with treatment teams, while support staff ensure benefits and legal notifications are handled.

Congratulations to the Winners:

Paul Angelini, Jessica Bueno, Maria Cecilia, Lizabeth Chea, Sylvia Gutierrez, Katherine Lu, Antonio Loya, Lura Martinez, Rosy Newell, Kenneth Nicholson, Gracia Nunez, Orlando Reina, Ashlie Reyes, Rhia Redulla, David Sanchez, Uzziel Sierra, Lisa Tang, Krystle Torres, and Joshua Vo

2025 Nominees

• BHSA Stakeholder Planning and Engagement
• CARE and Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT)
• LPS Mental Health Service
• SUD Residential Treatment Services
• Senior Health Outreach and Prevention Program (SHOPP)
• Older Adult Services – Program for Assertive Community Treatment (OAS-PACT)
• Substance Use Disorders Proposition 36

In Solidarity,

OCEA