Hispanic and Latino Heritage month
Hispanic and Latino Heritage month is September 15 to October 15. According to HispanicHeritage.gov , the day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively.
The AAFP takes this time to honor and celebrate the achievements and contributions of family physicians whose ancestors came from Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Spain, but this is more than a month-long focus for us. We'll use this space to highlight the work of our current Hispanic and Latino members.
Members in Action
"I am passionate about health equity because I do believe access to quality health care is a human right, but also because through the work involved in making that notion a reality – through service – I derive fulfillment not only in my professional life and career but also in my personal life. ... And I think health is essential. And so through service, and especially service that aims to address health disparities, I really find that I am more fulfilled with my career. And today, you know, I can't see those two divorced – a clinical practice and advocacy work. And I think we often forget in family medicine that the specialty is not called family medicine, it's called family and community medicine." – Pablo da Silva, MD, MPH, 2023 AAFP Health Equity Fellow
"Today, in my role as a newly elected national coordinator, I want to continue using my voice as a catalyst for change and looking forward and emphasizing the voices of marginalized communities; building partnerships with medical and non-medical organizations to lead a positive change and help promote diversity and interest in family medicine; addressing the shortage of primary care physicians by working with local, state, family medicine, interest groups, and the American Academy of Family Physicians to to increase interest in the field through my involvement with the Family Medicine Champion training program to inspire the next generation of family physicians." – Ernie Rodriguez, FMIG Network National Coordinator
"I saw this with my parents, who are Mexican immigrants – it's so important to have doctors who know culturally what your preferences are … with cultural and language barriers, it’s so much better for patient care and patient outcomes. That’s why I’m super passionate about increasing representation in medicine and then especially family medicine because family medicine doctors are the core of medicine because every patient will see them first. And I think it’s so important that patients have that opportunity to have somebody that looks like them see them." – Melissa Gonzalez, AAFP Latino Medical Student Association Liaison
FP Innovator’s Vision Brings AFP Content to New Audience
Hector Arreaza, M.D., was such a fan of the AFP Podcast that he spent more than a year bringing bi-weekly summaries of American Family Physician’s content to a brand new audience.
Parents, Teens Know This Family Physician Is There for Them
Maria Veronica Svetaz, M.D., M.P.H., didn’t intend to stay in the United States long term. Fortunately for the children and families of Minnesota, her plans changed.
Student Brings Businesslike Approach to FMIG
Ernie Rodriguez, M.B.A., worked at a bank to put himself through college and earned a degree in public administration. The day before graduation, he had a life-changing thought.
A Focus on Workforce Diversity
A diverse workforce equals a healthier population. Studies show that patient satisfaction and health outcomes are improved when health providers and their patients have concordance in their racial, ethnic, and language backgrounds. Check out the EveryONE Project, part of the AAFP's Center for Diversity and Health Equity, for more information.