As medical professionals, Hispanic people have contributed and continue to contribute their skills and knowledge as trailblazers, including in senior care. These forward-thinking visionaries have made the world healthier for all people.

Hispanic representation in healthcare history

Medicine has always been a part of Hispanic heritage. From Yerberos (traditional herbal healers) to modern practitioners, Hispanics have been at the forefront of medical care and research. The ancient Aztecs and Mayans, for example, had sophisticated medical systems. This legacy of ancient medicine was the foundation for pioneers in contemporary life. Some notable Hispanic medical trailblazers are Dr. Carlos Finlay, Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías, Dr. José Celso Barbosa Alcala, Dr. Nora Volkow, and Dr. Serena Maria Auñón-Chancellor.

InspiringHispanicIconsinHealthcareStoriesofExcellenceandInnovation

Carlos J. Finlay

Dr. Carlos J. Finlay (December 3, 1833 to August 20, 1915) was the Cuban epidemiologist who discovered the origins of yellow fever. As a scientist, he discovered that yellow fever is caused by mosquitos biting infected humans and then transmitting the disease through biting healthy humans. As a scientist, he faced discrimination in that no one believed his theory published in 1886. The acceptance of his theory was only validated in 1900, 20 years after its initial publication, when the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Board, headed by white physician Walter Reed, accepted Finlay’s research.

Dr. José Celso Barbosa Alcala

Dr. José Celso Barbosa Alcala (July 27, 1857 to September 21, 1921) was a Puerto Rican physician, sociologist serving poor and Black communities, and political leader. As a Black man, he was denied admission to Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons because of his race. But despite this setback, Dr. Alcala graduated with a medical degree with honors from the University of Michigan in 1880. Politically active in making Puerto Rico a part of the United States, he was a champion of political and social reform, labor, civil rights, and universal suffrage.

Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías

Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías, (July 7, 1929 to December 27, 2001), overcame prejudice to become a public health expert and women’s rights activist. She was the first Latina director of the American Public Health Association, focusing on reproductive rights and HIV/AIDS advocacy. Facing discrimination at school, her teachers placed her in less advanced classes that did not challenge her intellectually or help her dream of a medical career.

Overcoming this rough start, when one of her teachers noticed her potential and admitted her to higher-level classes, Dr. Rodríguez- Trías used her experiences to become an activist for the socially marginalized. An advocate for poor women facing sterilization and for people with HIV/AIDS, Dr. Rodríguez- Trías helped bring people of color into the conversation about healthcare and reproductive rights.

Dr. Nora D. Volkow

Dr. Nora D. Volkow (born March 27, 1956) is a Mexican-American psychiatrist who is currently the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Her interest in substance abuse evolved from a tragedy where a relative suffered from alcoholism and died from suicide. Her role as director of the NIDA is a mission to destigmatize substance abuse and get help for those suffering from substance abuse problems. Previously, she worked in the area of senior healthcare, researching the loss of dopamine and its effects in healthy people without neurological dysfunction. Her research showed dopamine loss is associated with motor slowing and changes in cognitive task ability. For her research, Dr. Volkow focused on strategies to minimize cognitive and motor skill losses.

Dr. Serena Maria Auñón-Chancellor

Dr. Serena Maria Auñón-Chancellor (born April 9, 1976) is an American physician and astronaut of Cuban descent. Her work for six months on the International Space Station (ISS) was conducting research on medical conditions such as Angiex Cancer Therapy for a safer, more effective treatment targeting tumor cells and blood vessels and working on Parkinson’s disease. On the ISS, her work included experiments about physical changes occurring in space. These studies related to senior healthcare, such as bone density loss and muscle weakening, are relevant to the aging process on Earth. Recently, she has worked in academic medicine and with COVID-19 patients.

Impact on diversity

With each trailblazer, Hispanics in medicine have created opportunities for those who have followed them into the medical field. Organizations such as the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) and the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) continue this legacy with advocacy efforts to make becoming a medical professional accessible for Hispanic healthcare providers. The future of Hispanic medical professionals moves forward as it is indebted to its pioneers.

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