National Hispanic Health Foundation Honors Health Leaders and Health Student Scholars

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF), 501(c)(3) foundation of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), hosts its 10^th Annual California Awards Gala where students enrolled in health professional schools will be given scholarships to help graduate and become health providers.

"We are also honoring leaders who are role models for these remarkable students," said Dr. Elena Rios, President and CEO of NHHF and NHMA, "and partnering with visionary sponsors so that we are able to build the future health workforce for our communities." 

The gala ceremony will be held December 14 at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles from 6:30 – 11:00 pm. NHHF held its East Coast Gala in New York City just last week.

This year NHHF honored leaders in the Health industry for their transformation of their community, academic and private sector organizations so that more Latinos will have access to healthcare:

California:
Dolores Huerta and her son, Fidel Huerta, MD 
David Carlisle, MD, President, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science,
Mary Lou de Leon Siantz, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor, Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, 
Jose Andozola, MD, Director, Family Medicine Residency, Las Cruces, NM 
Peter Long, PhD, President & CEO, California Blue Shield Foundation
Martha Preciado, MD, FACC, Cardiologist
Jeff Davis, COO, Brand New Day/Universal Care
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Latino Alumni, 1980s                           

New York:
Herminia Palacio, MD, MPH, Deputy Mayor, New York City
Maria L. Soto-Greene, MD, Vice Dean, Professor of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, PhD, RN, Professor, Director, Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health, NYU Silver Social Work School
Adam Aponte, MD, MPH, Title, United Health Care NY Community Plan, Assistant Dean, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Hector D. Vilchis, Vice President, Agency Target Mkts, New York Life Insurance Company
Steven Safyer, MD, CEO of Montefiore Medical Center
Araceli Esquivel , FACHE, Director, Health Equity, Inclusion, & Quality Improvement, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

The United Health Foundation is the Presenting Sponsor, Health Net is the Gold Sponsor. Other sponsors include AltaMed, NovoNordisk, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Blue Shield of California, American Career College & Contemporary Forums, Brand New Day, Carlos Corral, MD El Paso Cardiac, Vascular & Thoracic Surgeons PA, Natural Resources Defense Council, Martha Preciado, The California Health Care Foundation, PAN#1 Family Limited Partnership, DaVita Healthcare Partners, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, Rutgers NJ Medical School, Zucker School of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Westchester Medical Center, NYU Langone Schools of Medicine, NYU Langone Health Brooklyn, NYU Silver School of Social Work, Latino Commission on AIDS, Raoul and Minerva Campos, Einstein Medical School, NY-Presbyterian Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, Adventist Central Valley of CA, Cantu Construction, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Keck School of Medicine at USC, Southern NM Family Medicine Residency Program, Temple University School of Dentistry, Drexel University School of Medicine, New York Academy of Medicine, Yale Greenwich Hospital,  Richard Zapanta, MD, The California Endowment. Media partners include UNIVISION, Latino Leaders Magazine, Latina Style Magazine, KTLA-5, LA Business Journal, El Tiempo-San Diego, LA Latino Chamber of Commerce, Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and BizFed.

This year's NHHF Health Professional Student Scholarships were awarded to outstanding students who demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and a commitment to providing healthcare to Latinos. Since the scholarship program was launched in 2004, NHHF has awarded over 230 scholarships. This year the NHHF Endowment is being established to reach individual donors. If interested, contact NHHF.

The 2017 scholarship award winners are:

David Ortiz, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Medical School
Walter M. Solorzano, Keck School of Medicine at USC
Selina Fuentes, University of Texas Health San Antonio School of Dentistry
Julia Torres, Arizona State University School of Nursing
Mariela Nevarez, UCLA School of Public Health and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science/David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles
Diana De Vore, Touro University California College of Pharmacy
Fernando Picazo, University of Arizona College of Medicine
Axana Rodriguez-Torres, UC Irvine School of Medicine (PRIME-LC)
Luis Seija, Texas A & M School of Medicine 
Omar Viramontes, David Geffen School of Medicine University of California Los Angeles 
Nicole A. Doria, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Daniel E. Guzman, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Ericka G. Jaramillo, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai
Roxanna Navarro, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Jose Reyes, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Marianne Vazquez, Penn Dental School - University of Pennsylvania
Yovianna Garcia, MGH Institute of Health Professions Nursing Program
Jose Marino, Case Western Reserve University, Program in Public Health
Lisa Flores, American University School of Public Affairs
Christian Monsalve, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Cesar Andrade, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Natalie Ceballos, Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Paulina Ramirez, Drexel University School of Medicine 
Rachel Rosario, Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry

NHHF is the 501(c)(3) arm of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), a nonprofit organization that represents 50,000 Hispanic physicians across the U.S. The mission of NHHF is to improve the health of Hispanics through research and educational activities. www.NHMAFoundation.org

SOURCE National Hispanic Health Foundation