Department of Medicine Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
On Tuesday, October 15th, the Department of Medicine hosted Trailblazers Unidos: Healthcare Leaders Shaping the Future at Columbia/NYP and Beyond at Riverview Terrace in the Vivian & Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center. This event celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month fits well with this year’s theme: Pioneers of Change. It featured welcome remarks by Christopher Irobunda MD, PhD, Jim Ovia Professor of Cardiology and Vice Chair of Faculty Development Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Department of Medicine. Dr. Irobunda echoed the sentiment behind this event: “We are so happy to celebrate and connect to our community who have contributed immensely to CUIMC.”
The celebration included a robust panel discussion, featuring healthcare leaders of Hispanic heritage from CUIMC and NYP. The panel represented multiple generations and disciplines. The moderators were Wilson Quezada MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at CUMC in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Medicine, and Mara Minguez MD, Mc Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Population & Family Health. They shared their experiences as medical professionals of Hispanic heritage and asked insightful questions to the panelists.
Dr. Minguez highlighted a major issue regarding representation: “6% of US Physicians identify as Latinx, while only 3% are in academia.” Experiences were shared by panelists who have been at CUIMC & NYP for decades. Each panelist voiced their opinions on what lies ahead for Latinx people in Medicine, at CUIMC, and in the surrounding community. Throughout the panel discussion, there was a stressed emphasis on the importance of mentorship and increasing recruitment of candidates of Hispanic heritage.
The evening was also a tribute to Rafael A. Lantigua MD, Professor of Medicine at CUMC and Associate Dean for Community. As Dr. Quezada mentioned “a trailblazer is someone who is forward thinking and sets the standard for everyone else. People who inspire and fight.” That is certainly true for Dr. Lantigua, the evening’s honoree. Rafael Lantigua, M.D. is the Director, Office of Community Service Programs ; Associate Dean for Community Service and Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Since coming to Columbia in 1980, he has a distinguished record of working to improve the health of aging minorities. He is the most recent recipient of the Seymour Milstein award, the highest honor that can bestowed on a physician the NYP & CUIMC institution. He shared several stories of his early days at Columbia and imparted pearls of wisdom to younger physicians and medical students in the audience.
The evening provided a great opportunity for faculty, administrators, staff, and students to network over treats from across Latin America. The attendees were wowed by a cultural performance from the Jr. K-Company Dance Team from the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club Performing Arts Program.