Deserved Recognition for Dr. Richard Izquierdo

“Much to the delight of the U.S. Latin community, Dr. Richard Izquierdo will soon be awarded the Surgeon General’s Medal by the 17th U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Richard Carmona. The medal will be conferred this Tuesday, January 23, at 11:00 a.m. in the lobby of Urban Health Plan’s headquarters, located at 1065 Southern Boulevard in the Bronx. Paloma Hernandez, President and CEO of Urban Health Plan, will be present at the ceremony.

A person of Latin origin has achieved the maximum honor granted by the United States Department of Health and Human Services for his work as a physician and scientist.

Dr. Richard Izquierdo will receive this prestigious recognition due to his career of more than three decades serving low-income communities in the Bronx, especially the Hispanic community. Over thirty years ago, he created Urban Health Plan, a foundation whose mission was to render free or low-cost health services to patients in need.

Born to Puerto Rican parents, Richard Izquierdo””affectionately known as “Doc”””expressed his desire to be a doctor at the tender age of five. He knew the needs of his people and has worked hard to meet them since the opening of his first clinic in 1962 in the South Bronx, just two blocks from his home.

But his work did not stop there. Over the years he became one of the social activists who fought hardest for his community. In 1967, he built his first clinic, called the San Juan Health Center, which heralded the beginning of his greatest work: the Urban Health Plan.

This institution, founded in 1974 by Dr. Izquierdo, serves low-income communities in the Bronx, for whom “Doc” has always fought tirelessly. Many Urban Health Plan bilingual health centers operate in the area, such as El Nuevo San Juan, the Bella Vista, and the Plaza del Castillo Health Centers, where patients can receive anything from medical attention for the whole family to prenatal care and even dental care.

In addition, Urban Health Plan’s services are not limited to medical care, but include community health educational services. For more information, please visit http://www.urbanhealthplan.org. “

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