Golden Valley founder honored for 45 years of service

After being part of Golden Valley Health Centers for 45 years, Alicia L. Dicochea attended her final board meeting last week, reflecting on the years of service she has provided to the community.

“Forty-five years have gone by,” Dicochea said. “A beautiful, beautiful 45 years.”

Dicochea served on Golden Valley’s board of directors since 1971 and was the founder of Golden Valley, formerly La Nueva Esperanza. On Friday, she retired and was honored by the community, colleagues and her family for her lifelong work and service in Los Banos.

“She was a firm, steady voice to assure Golden Valley not only remains strong but it expands,” Rep. Jim Costa said.

Dicochea’s daughter Alicia A. Dicochea said she grew emotional on Thursday as she drove her mother to her last board meeting.

“I actually teared up because even though it was something over for my mother, we grew up there,” the younger Dicochea said. “I felt like one of my chapters closed.”

Golden Valley has been serving patients since 1972 in Merced and, since then, has grown into 26 clinics in two counties, Merced and Stanislaus.

“We in America can always do better … and Alicia has never forgotten that,” Costa said. “We share a passion and desire to help people.”

Dicochea has been a Spanish translator at the courthouse, served on the board of directors for Los Banos Hospital and on the board of the National Association of Farmworkers Organization.

“There is almost no part of the Westside that Alicia hasn’t touched,” Costa said.

She also was a member of the city planning commission, a delegate to the Guadalupanas Federation in Fresno and, in 2009, she was named Merced County’s Volunteer and Latina Making a Difference by the Merced County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“There are no words,” said Norma Gossett, another of Dicochea’s daughters. “She has been awesome. She helps everybody.”

Dicochea was honored with a plaque placed in the entrance of Golden Valley in Los Banos.

“We didn’t recognize then what an accomplishment it was going to be for the community,” said another daughter, Teresa Segura. “It’s amazing knowing her legacy can go so far.”

Dicochea has been a mother to 10 children and now has more than 50 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“I want to thank my family for their support,” she said. “Seriously, I love you all – my children, my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren.”

Her daughters said their mother has taught them the skill sets they now have as adults, such as contributing to the community, having a sense of family and faith. “If it be God’s will” is something they said their mother always told them while growing up.

“I just took it one day at a time,” Dicochea said. “There’s no way to describe it. It was beautiful.”

This story was originally published August 14, 2016 at 4:22 PM with the headline "Golden Valley founder honored for 45 years of service."