Yuriko de la Cruz
Deputy Director, Grassroots Organizing

Meet Yuriko

Yuriko de la Cruz (she/her/ella) is a public health professional and social justice advocate with extensive experience advancing equitable health programs and services at community-based organizations, federally qualified health centers, health networks, and capacity building organizations. Yuriko joined NACHC in March 2020 and transitioned to a new role within NACHC in November 2023 as the Deputy Director, Grassroots Organizing. Within this role she leads efforts to foster distributive leadership across the health center movement and build upon NACHC’s newly implemented grassroots organizing framework in collaboration with Community Health Centers (CHCs), Primary Care Associations (PCAs), Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCNs), and key partners. Two preliminary goals include: increasing education and mobilization of health center advocates related to NACHC’s advocacy campaigns; and supporting health centers utilize grassroots organizing as a strategy to address local and state priorities that impact overall health and well-being.

Yuriko’s dedication to advocate for the health and well-being of structurally marginalized individuals, families, and communities is tied to her personal journey. As the daughter of South American immigrant parents, she experienced the challenges related to immigration and grew up in poverty with no health insurance, substandard housing and education, and food insecurity. She is proficient in assessing and addressing the social drivers of health, cross-sectoral community engagement and facilitation; training and technical assistance; continuous quality improvement; population health; and human-centered design. As both a professional and community leader, Yuriko has leaned into the strengths and challenges of her personal story and leads with empathy, perseverance, curiosity, and joy. She is most passionate about sharing her gifts and talents in and with the community and serves on the Board of Directors of two community-based nonprofit organizations in Allentown, PA: Resurrected Community Development Corporation (2017) and Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley (2019). Yuriko joined the Board of Directors of two national organizations: the Academy of Communication in Healthcare (2021) and Health Outreach Partners (2021).

Yuriko is originally from New Jersey and was raised in the Lehigh Valley in PA, giving her an appreciation of big cities and quiet towns. She completed her undergraduate degree in Public Health from West Chester University and the Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Yuriko lives in northern VA and enjoys traveling, listening to music, tending to her plants, trying new recipes, watching basketball and fútbol (soccer) games, and exploring cultural and artistic activities.

Get in touch with Yuriko at ydelacruz@nachc.org.