May 2019
NHMA/HDA 2019 National Hispanic Health Conference Recap
The NHMA Board of Directors would like to thank everyone who attended the 2019 National Hispanic Health Conference that was held on April 11-14, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. The Conference was a huge success with over 600 attendees and we could not have done it without you. We hope that every one enjoyed the workshops, plenaries, network receptions, and Leadership Gala & Dance. We especially want to thank our speakers, moderators, sponsors, poster presenters, exhibitors, recruiters, and Gala awardees, mistress of ceremony, and keynote speaker.

For those of you who were not able to attend, please see our recap below. We hope that you will be able to join us at next year's conference on April 22-27, 2020 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, DC.
2019 NHMA Leadership Awardees
Physician of the Year Awardee

Juan Robles, MD
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Family and Social Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, NY
Government Awardee

Luis Padilla, MD, FAAFP
Associate Administrator for Health Workforce, Director of the National Health Service Corps
Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Academic Awardees

Agustín Rodríguez González, MD
Dean of Medicine
University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences
Campus – San Juan, PR

Olga Rodríguez de Arzola, MD, FAAP
Dean of Medicine
Ponce Health Sciences University – Ponce, PR

José Ginel Rodríguez, MD, FAAP
Dean of Medicine
Universidad Central del Caribe School of
Medicine – Bayamón, PR

Irvin Maldonado-Rivera, PhD
Academic Dean
San Juan Bautista Medical School – Caguas, PR
Picture above: The NHHPLN, NHMA Council of Medical Societies, Latino Advocacy Groups, the 2019 Young Physicians of the Year, and 2019 Residents/Fellows of the Year with Dr. Elena Rios.
NHMA 2019 Young Physicians of the Year Awardees

Jesus D. Anampa, MD, MS
Attending Physician, Medical Oncology Department
Albert Einstein College of Medicine/ Montefiore Medical Center
Bronx, NY

Dorys Chavez Melendez, MD
Physician, Division of Cardiology/ Heart Vascular Institute
George Washington University, Centro Medico Comayagua Colonial Hospital
Comayagua, Honduras

Leo Lopez, III, MD
Fellow, National Clinician Scholars Program
Yale University
New Haven, CT

Marlene Martin, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Hospital Medicine, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
San Francisco, CA

Jonathan Moreira, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, IL 

Minerva A. Romero Arenas, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Surgery, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine
Edinburg, TX

Vanessa Salcedo, MD, MPH, FAAP
Attending Pediatrician and Director of Health Promotion, Union Community Health Center (UCHC) 
Bronx, NY

Gabriela Walsman Leiva, MD
Family Medicine Physician, Community Health Center Oquirrh View Clinic
Taylorsville, UT
NHMA 2019 Residents/Fellows of the Year Awardees

Joseph S. Fernandez-Moure, MD, MS
Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care, and Emergency Surgery Fellow, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

Alvaro E. Galvis, MD, PhD
Pediatrics Resident, University of Nevada Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV

Evita Limon-Rocha, MD, MPH
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow, University of Texas Health Science Center
San Antonio, TX

Carolina W. Martinez, MD
General Surgery Resident, University of Arizona Medical School
Tucson, AZ

Mariana Z. Martinez, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident, Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center
Los Angeles, CA

Keila S. Muñiz, MD
Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellow, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD

Elaine Rodriguez, MD, MPH
Emergency Medicine Resident, Jacobi/Montefiore Medical Centers
Bronx, NY

Jenny Ruiz, MD
Pediatrics Resident, New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center
New York, NY
National Hispanic Health Professional Leadership Network

American Society of Hispanic Psychiatry
Bernardo Ng, MD, President – Dallas, TX 

American Psychiatric Association Hispanic Caucus
Hector Colon-Rivera, MD, MRO, President – Washington, DC 

Association of Hispanic Healthcare Executives
George A. Zeppenfeldt-Cestero, President & CEO – New York, NY 

Association of Hispanic Mental Health Professionals
Carmen Collado, LCSW-R, President – New York, NY 

Hispanic American Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Association
Jorge A. Quel, MD, FACAAI, Executive Director – Marina Del Rey, CA 

Hispanic Dental Association
Ricardo Y. Mendoza, DDS, FICD, MS, FACD, President – Washington, DC 

Hispanic Employee Organization of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Duilio Correa, MA, MPA, President – Washington, DC 

Hispanic Health Coalition
Maria Cantú-Ondarza, MEd, MBA, President – Houston, TX 

Hispanic Neuropsychological Society
Monica Rivera Mindt, PhD, ABPP, President – New York, NY 

Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools
Norma A. Pérez, MD, DrPH, President – Washington, DC 

Latino Caucus for Public Health of the American Public Health Association
Paulina Sosa, Vice President – Washington, DC 

Latino Social Workers Organization
Adrian L. Delgado, LCSW, CEAP, CADC, Founder – Chicago, IL 

Latinos and Hispanics in Dietetics and Nutrition a Member Interest Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Sara Carrion Perrone, MS, RDN, LD, Chair – Chicago, IL 

National Association of Hispanic Nurses
Anabell Castro-Thompson, MSN, RN, ANP-C, FAAN, Past President – Raleigh, NC 

National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives
Sally A. Hurt-Deitch, RN, FACHE, President – Alpharetta, GA 

National Hispanic Pharmacists Association
María M. Hearns-Rivas, PharmD, APh, BCGP, CDE, President – Napa, CA

National Latinx Psychology Association
Brian McNeill, PhD, President – Milwaukee, WI 

National Latino Behavioral Health Association
J. Ruben Lozano, PharmD, President – Cochiti Lake, NM
NHMA Council of Medical Societies

Arizona Latin American Medical Association
Adolfo Echeveste, MBA, President – Tempe, AZ

California Latino Medical Association
Maria Puig-Llano, MD, President – Los Angeles, CA

Dominican Medical Association
Pedro Aponte, MD, President – New York, NY

Hispanic Physician Association of Austin
Marco Mancillas, Past Executive Director – Austin, TX

Latinx Physicians of California
Jose Arevalo, MD, FAAFP, Chair – Maywood, CA

Medical Organization for Latino Advancement
Óscar I. Zambrano, MPH, MBA, Development & Communications Director – Chicago, IL

Medical Society of the District of Columbia
Raymond Tu, MD, MS, FACR, President – Washington, DC

New Mexico Hispanic Medical Association
David Gonzales, MD, President – Albuquerque, NM

North Texas Latin American Physicians Association
Carlos E. Pancorvo, MD, President – Frisco, TX

Northeast Florida Hispanic Medical Association
Rene U. Pulido, MD, President – Jacksonville, FL

Pan American Medical Association of Central Florida
Felipe Collazo-Pagan, MD, President – Orlando, FL

Peruvian American Medical Society
Max Benzaquen, MD, President – St. Louis, MO

Sacramento Latino Medical Association
Jessica M. Núñez de Ybarra, MD, MPH, President and Chair – Sacramento, CA

Salvadoran American Medical Society
Carlos Vaquerano, Chair – Los Angeles, CA

Society of Behavioral Medicine
Michael Diefenbach, PhD, President – Milwaukee, WI

Society of Ibero Latin American Medical Professionals
Natalia Ortiz, MD, DFAPA, FACLP, President SILAMP – Philadelphia, PA

Spanish American Medical Dental Society of New York
Jose G. Guillem, MD, MPH, President – Corona, NY

Texas Doctors for Social Responsibility
Jaime Estrada, MD, Board Chair & President – San Antonio, TX

The Medical Society of the United States and Mexico
Luis Bautista, MD, President – Santa Clara, NM

U.S. Colombian Medical Association
Marco Danon, MD, President – Coconute Grove, FL
Latino Advocacy Groups

Association of American Indian Physicians
Laura A. Williams MD, MPH, Treasurer – Oklahoma City, OK

Chicago Hispanic Health Coalition
Esther E. Sciammarella, MS, Executive Director – Chicago, IL

Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Nicole Quiroga, President & CEO – Washington, DC

GreenLatinos
Mark Magaña, Founding President & CEO – Washington, DC

Hispanic Health Initiatives
Josephine Mercado, JD, Founder, Executive Director – DeBary, FL

Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
Rebecca Alcantar, MPA, Deputy Director – Sacramento, CA

Latino Diabetes Association
Yolie Acosta, Executive Director – Montebello, CA

Latino Health Access
America Bracho, President & CEO – Santa Ana, CA

Latinos Salud
Victor Gonzalez, Miami Program Coordinator – Miami Beach, FL

Midwest Latino Health Research, Training and Policy Center
Amparo Castillo, MD, PhD, MS, Interim Director – Chicago, IL

Oregon Latino Health Coalition
Olivia Quiroz, Executive Director – Portland, OR
Poster Winners
Thank you to all who participated in the poster sessions! We had incredible posters and our poster judges were highly impressed.
First Place
Anna Clayton, MPH
Development of “A PrEP Navigator Guide” to Address Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Barriers Among Latinx Clients
Second Place
Marilyn Huamantla
Medical Student, Does Generation Status Matter?
Third Place
Denise Marte &
Sheyla Medina
Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Health Care Begins in the Community: A Medical Student - Navegante Partnership to Train Bilingual Community Health Workers
Conference CME and Evaluation Information
We would like to remind you to please fill out our  conference evaluations  here , so we are able to continue to provide workshops that are best fit for you, our participants. Additionally, please fill  this  form out in order to receive your CME certificate . We would appreciate if you could complete both forms by  May 18, 2019 .
Visit our conference website for the full agenda, power points, speaker bios, and more!
Legislative Update
This month, Congress held hearings on reforming Medicare:

  • Medicare for All: Well-known patient advocate Ady Barkan, former National Medical Association President Doris Browne, MD, and Sara Collins, PhD from the Commonwealth Fund, made strong appeals in favor of Medicare for All. Going forward, the question will be whether the emotional arguments for a revolutionized health system overcome the substantive policy disagreements. The debate is sure to get more heated in the hearings to come.

  • Medicare for America Act: Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) reintroduced the Medicare for America Act, which would expand covered benefits and services under Medicare and Medicaid to include prescription drugs, dental, vision and hearing services, as well as long-term supports and services for seniors and Americans living with disabilities. The bill also preserves employer-sponsored insurance, allowing Americans who are uninsured or lack employer-sponsored insurance to be auto-enrolled in Medicare for America.

  • Choose Medicare Act: Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the Choose Medicare Act, which would give every individual who is not already eligible for Medicaid or Medicare the opportunity to enroll in Medicare. It would also give employers the ability to purchase Medicare. 

H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, passed the House 231-190 , with three Republicans joining on passage (Fitzpatrick, Stefanik, and Buchanan) and many more joining on a variety of Democratic-offered amendments. Eleven members did not vote on final passage, seven of whom were Democrats. With its passage, we are taking significant steps to ensure America honors its Paris Agreement commitments, laying the groundwork for further climate action and ensuring the health of our communities is safe for many years. 

CBO released a report on policy considerations for a single-payer health program. The report lays out factors for lawmakers to weigh when designing legislation. Though CBO concludes that moving to a single-payer health care system could significantly affect the entire economy, the agency did not provide a cost estimate or make any specific recommendations. The report did not score a specific proposal but provided each side with additional talking points and will be a major talking point for the upcoming single-payer Congressional hearing. 

This month, NHMA signed-on to the following letters supporting legislation:
  • Letter of Support for H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act
  • Letter of Support to designate April 30th as National Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day 
  • Letter Requesting Congress to support $400 Million in funding for CHGME for FY 2020
  • Letter to The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on addressing the Opioid Crisis and addressing unnecessary opioid prescribing and increasing the availability of medically appropriate non-opioid pain management approaches
  • Letter requesting Congress to continue to allocate level funding to the Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression and the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Programs
  • Letter expressing strong support for reauthorization of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

NHMA submitted comments for proposed federal agency rule changes and reports:
  • Comments in Docket No. FDA-2019-D-0661, “Modifications to Compliance Policy for Certain Deemed Tobacco Products”
  • Comments in Docket No. HHS-OS-2018-0027: Request for Public Comments on the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force Draft Report on Pain Management Best Practices: Updates, Gaps, Inconsistencies, and Recommendations
Programs Update
Our Current Programs:

  • NHMA College Health Scholars Program
  • NHMA Medical School Liaison Program
  • NIH All of Us Research Program
  • NHMA Cholesterol Management Campaign
  • NHMA Seasonal Influenza Campaign
  • CDC Partnering And Communicating Together (PACT) to Act Against Aids
 

Dr. Elena Rios , NHMA President & CEO, was a panelist in an interactive question and answer session on the work NHMA has done with the All of Us Research Program . Dr. Rios was joined by Sindy Benavides, CEO of LULAC and Andrew Collier from BWHI.
Membership Update
NHMA Members are hard at work being catalyst for change in their communities. Each serve in many different ways. 



The 4 major values of an NHMA membership are Advocacy, Education, Leadership Development and Networking. Our major benefits for health professionals consist of:

  • Opportunities to be nominated for commissions and advisory boards in the Federal government, private sector, and other national health professional associations.
  • Opportunities to mentor medical students and residents.
  • Discounts at the NHMA Annual Conference (where you can also earn CME credits)
  • Ability to apply for NHMA Leadership Fellowship and Resident Leadership Programs
  • Opportunities to share your research either by being a speaker or poster presenter at our annual conference
  • Network with other healthcare professionals at one of NHMA Regional Events
Congratulations to Armando De Alba Rosales, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Promotion, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, for receiving the 2019 Excellence in Teaching Award by the UNMC College of Public Health.
Anyone that would like to advance NHMA's mission and goals is welcome to join our network as a Premier or Basic member. Click below to see our membership options:


Our major benefits for students:

  • Opportunities to mentor college students
  • Discounts at the NHMA Annual Conference
  • Opportunities to share your research by being a poster presenter at our annual conference
  • Network with healthcare professionals at one of NHMA Regional Events and Annual Conference

If you have received an award or attended an event and would like to be featured in our Monthly Membership update, please send to Vanessa Tellez at vtellez@nhmamd.org by the last Friday of every month.
Featured Announcements
2019 NHHF Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship

The 2019 NHHF Scholarship application is NOW OPEN!! Make sure you submit your application before September 26, 2019. To apply and more information: bit.ly/NHHF_Scholarship.


2019 NHHF Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship Galas

Mark your Calanders! The NHHF Gala dates are set! Our New York City Gala will be held on Friday, November 15, 2019 , at the Westin New York Grand Central. Our Los Angeles Gala will be held on Thursday, November 21, 2019 , at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles.


NHMA PACT Program

We are searching for healthcare providers who treat patients with HIV to participate in a video series for our HIV social media campaign. The videos will be posted on our website and social media. If you are interested, please contact Vanessa, vtellez@nhmamd.org , by Friday, June 28, 2019.

We are also looking for physicians and dentists who are interested in being speakers for our webinar on June 26 at 4:00 PM ET on the Inter-professional Approach to HIV Care. If you are interested in speaking, please contact Pedro, pmontenegro@nhmamd.org , by Friday, June 14, 2019.


The CMS Primary Cares Initiative

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the CMS Primary Cares Initiative, with the goal of improving patient care while managing health care costs. The Primary Cares Initiative includes five new payment options for providers to boost management of patients with chronic illnesses and avert higher hospital costs. There are now multiple informational sessions being offered to learn more about Primary Care First initiative. Session information and registration links are included below:

Informational Session 3: Thursday, May 16th at 12 PM EDT - Register to attend
Informational Session 4: Thursday, May 16th at 3 PM EDT - Register to attend

For additional information about Primary Care First, please visit the model website at https://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/primary-care-first-model-options/.


NHHF Puerto Rico Relief Campaign

Last year, Puerto Rico was devastated by a category 5 hurricane and still remains in a state of crisis due to the lack of appropriate funds and support from the Trump Administration. We invite you to donate to our campaign to assist Puerto Rican Medical Students.

The NHMA and NHHF are committed to supporting the Puerto Rico medical education disaster relief following Hurricane Maria in the fall of 2017. We have raised funds in the NHMA Northeast Region Forum in 2017 and at our 22nd Annual conference with the Deans of four medical schools in Puerto Rico. We have donated $10,000, plus supplies to the effort and hope to be able to donate much more with your help.

Your donation is tax deductible! Donate here .
Upcoming Events
NHHF Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship Galas
New York Gala: Friday, November 15, 2019 , at the Westin New York Grand Central
California Gala: Thursday, November 21, 2019 , at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles

NHMA City Network Policy Forums and Receptions:
October - November 2019

NHMA 24th Annual Conference:
April 22 - 27, 2020 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park

Virtual events:

NHMA CDC PACT Program
June 26 at 4:00 PM ET: Webinar on the Inter-professional Approach to HIV Care
June 27 at 3:00 PM ET: Twitter Chat on National HIV Testing Day
September 27 at 3:00 PM ET: Twitter Chat on National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
October 15 at 3:00 PM ET: Twitter Chat on National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day
December 2 at 4:00 PM ET: Webinar on World AIDS Day

NHMA College Health Scholars Program Twitter Chat Series
July 17 at 3:00 PM ET: Raising Awareness on the Urgent Need of More Hispanic Heath Professionals
September 4 at 3:00 PM ET: Barriers Faced by Hispanics When Entering Health Professions
October 9 at 3:00 PM ET: Mapping Your Health Professional Journey as a College Student
We ask that you consider making a $25 donation to help NHMA & NHHF touch the lives of health professionals in various stages of their career:

1) NHHF Health Professional Student Scholarship and Mentoring
2) NHMA Resident Leadership Program.
3) NHMA Leadership Fellowship

Join NHMA as a member and participate in our many programs and communications campaigns. Become our supporter!

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