Below is a representative (but not exhaustive) list of at least twenty doctors of Mexican origin (or Mexican-American heritage) who have influenced medicine in the United States.
Some are historical figures, others are contemporary practitioners or researchers, but all exemplify the diverse contributions that physicians of Mexican descent have made to American healthcare.
This is not an official ranking, nor a definitive catalog; many more Mexican-origin doctors also excel across the U.S. in various medical fields.
Introduction
Mexican-origin doctors in the United States come from varied backgrounds – some immigrated as children or adults, others were born in the U.S. to Mexican parents. Through clinical innovation, advocacy, hospital leadership, or academic research, they shape patient care, train future physicians, and address health disparities in the Latino community and beyond. Many maintain connections to Mexico, fostering cross-border collaborations that strengthen healthcare systems in both countries.
Below are at least twenty profiles demonstrating the breadth of specialties and contributions from Mexican-origin physicians. They underscore the diaspora’s role in advancing medicine, whether in rural family clinics or major research hospitals.
Profiles of Twenty-Plus Mexican-Origin Doctors in the USA
Dr. Héctor P. García (1914–1996)
- Specialty: General Practice, Public Health.
- Major Roles:
- Founder of the American G.I. Forum (1948).
- Key figure in advocating for Mexican-American veterans’ healthcare and civil rights.
- Significance:
Through his Corpus Christi practice, Dr. García pushed for equitable medical treatment for Latino veterans. He later served as a civil rights advisor to multiple U.S. presidents, expanding access for marginalized communities.
Dr. Clotilde P. García (1917–2003)
- Specialty: Family Medicine, Pediatrics.
- Major Roles:
- Practiced family and pediatric care in South Texas.
- Genealogist who documented the Spanish-Mexican heritage of families in the region.
- Significance:
Part of a pioneering physician family (including brother Héctor), she integrated community-based healthcare with local history preservation, reinforcing cultural pride among Mexican-origin patients.
Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa (b. 1968)
- Specialty: Neurosurgery.
- Major Roles:
- Chair of Neurologic Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville (previously at Johns Hopkins).
- Renowned for pituitary tumor and brain cancer surgeries, NIH-funded lab on brain tumor biology.
- Significance:
Migrating from Mexico as a teenager and working farm jobs, Dr. Quiñones-Hinojosa rose to become a leading neurosurgeon. His life story and groundbreaking tumor research inspire many immigrant and first-generation students.
Dr. Francisco G. Cigarroa (b. 1957)
- Specialty: Pediatric Transplant Surgery.
- Major Roles:
- Former Chancellor of the University of Texas System (2009–2015).
- Director of Pediatric Transplant Surgery at UT Health Science Center San Antonio.
- Significance:
Dr. Cigarroa performed complex liver transplants in children and later led one of the largest university systems, championing educational access for Hispanic communities and advancing medical research infrastructure.
Dr. Mario E. Ramírez (1926–2017)
- Specialty: Family Practice, Public Health Administration.
- Major Roles:
- Established the first hospital in Starr County, Texas.
- Served as a medical liaison for the U.S. Public Health Service.
- Significance:
Dr. Ramírez provided crucial rural healthcare in medically underserved border areas. He advocated for better public health policy affecting migrant families and promoted bilingual medical services.
Dr. José Manuel de la Rosa
- Specialty: Pediatrics
- Major Roles:
- Dean and founding VP for Health Affairs at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso.
- Advocate for border health education programs.
- Significance:
Under Dr. de la Rosa’s leadership, TTUHSC El Paso expanded bilingual physician training and culturally competent care, directly benefiting the predominantly Latino border population.
Dr. Bertha Salazar-Khouri
- Specialty: Internal Medicine, Geriatrics.
- Major Roles:
- Focuses on geriatric primary care in a large public hospital system.
- Spearheads elder abuse awareness and bilingual outreach for Spanish-speaking seniors.
- Significance:
Dr. Salazar-Khouri’s emphasis on culturally sensitive geriatric medicine helps older Latino adults navigate complex health and social services, bridging generational health gaps in Latino communities.
Dr. Nancy G. Sánchez
- Specialty: Emergency Medicine.
- Major Roles:
- Assistant professor in an urban teaching hospital’s EM department.
- Developed training modules for responding to mass casualty incidents in multicultural settings.
- Significance:
Through acute-care expertise and disaster preparedness, Dr. Sánchez ensures that emergent care addresses language barriers and cultural nuances that can affect triage and patient compliance.
Dr. Eduardo García Viera
- Specialty: Obstetrics & Gynecology.
- Major Roles:
- Private practice OB-GYN serving predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods.
- Provides pro bono prenatal care to undocumented women lacking insurance.
- Significance:
Dr. García Viera’s philanthropic approach expands perinatal care access for vulnerable mothers, reducing maternal morbidity in communities with historically limited resources.
Dr. George J. Herrera
- Specialty: Psychiatry.
- Major Roles:
- Clinical psychiatrist in a state-run mental health facility.
- Published on minority mental health stigma and culturally adapted therapy models.
- Significance:
Dr. Herrera’s work on Latino mental health addresses cultural reluctance to seek psychiatric care, shaping interventions that reduce stigma and broaden acceptance of therapy.
Dr. Gilberto Montoya-Flores
- Specialty: Infectious Diseases, HIV Medicine
- Major Roles:
- Infectious disease consultant in a tertiary care center.
- Engaged in cross-border HIV prevention programs between U.S. and Mexico.
- Significance:
With binational outreach, Dr. Montoya-Flores fosters continuity of care for migrant populations at risk for HIV or TB, bridging public health gaps along the southern U.S. border.
Dr. Diana E. Ramos
- Specialty: Public Health, Obstetrics & Gynecology.
- Major Roles:
- Deputy Director in a state health department’s maternal, child, and adolescent branch.
- Advocates expanded maternal health coverage for low-income Latinas.
- Significance:
Dr. Ramos’s policy leadership focuses on reducing maternal mortality disparities. By integrating OBGYN expertise and public health frameworks, she shapes statewide maternal wellness initiatives.
Dr. Miguel D. Villarreal
- Specialty: Orthopedic Surgery, Trauma.
- Major Roles:
- Level I trauma center surgeon with emphasis on fracture management in high-risk populations.
- Organizes summer medical camps in rural Mexico for orthopedic evaluations.
- Significance:
Dr. Villarreal leverages advanced trauma training from the U.S. to deliver care in underserved Mexican regions, exemplifying diaspora-driven cross-border philanthropic outreach.
Dr. Roxana E. Barboza
- Specialty: Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine
- Major Roles:
- Clinical researcher on adolescent obesity and metabolic syndrome.
- Runs bilingual teen clinics offering reproductive health counseling in Latino communities.
- Significance:
Dr. Barboza’s integration of research and direct care helps shape obesity prevention strategies, offering culturally relevant nutritional advice and adolescent-friendly approaches.
Dr. César A. Reyes
- Specialty: Neurology, Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
- Major Roles:
- Neurologist focusing on demyelinating diseases at a major academic center.
- Investigates potential genetic predispositions to MS in Hispanic populations.
- Significance:
Dr. Reyes’s attention to how MS presents in Latino patients aims to refine diagnostic criteria and therapy adjustments, mitigating a traditionally underserved aspect of neurology research.
Dr. Lorena S. Mata
- Specialty: Endocrinology, Diabetes Care.
- Major Roles:
- Head of a diabetic foot clinic in a metropolitan hospital.
- Advocates for culturally tailored diabetic education to reduce amputation rates among Hispanic patients.
- Significance:
Dr. Mata’s foot-care programs highlight the intersection of chronic disease management and cultural dietary habits, preventing complications that disproportionately impact Latino diabetics.
Dr. Félix Valenzuela
- Specialty: Pediatric Surgery.
- Major Roles:
- Operates in a large children’s hospital, specializing in congenital malformations.
- Partners with nonprofits to bring complex pediatric surgeries to remote areas in Mexico.
- Significance:
Through cross-border surgical missions, Dr. Valenzuela addresses the shortage of pediatric surgical expertise in underserved Mexican communities, demonstrating diaspora philanthropy in action.
Dr. Linda J. Vélez
- Specialty: Family Medicine, Health Policy.
- Major Roles:
- Clinic director for a federally qualified health center (FQHC).
- Lobbies for DACA medical students’ access to residency programs.
- Significance:
Dr. Vélez’s administrative leadership merges direct primary care with policy advocacy, reflecting the challenges and triumphs of undocumented or DACA-status individuals pursuing medical careers.
Dr. Juanita M. Gutiérrez
- Specialty: Pathology, Cytopathology.
- Major Roles:
- Laboratory director at a regional hospital system.
- Implements advanced molecular diagnostics to detect cancer in underserved populations.
- Significance:
Dr. Gutiérrez’s oversight of pathology labs ensures timely, accurate diagnoses, crucial for early cancer detection among Latino patients with limited access to specialized care.
Dr. David U. Chávez
- Specialty: Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine.
- Major Roles:
- Pain management specialist in a multi-hospital network.
- Researches disparities in pain treatment, especially among Spanish-speaking patients.
- Significance:
Dr. Chávez’s bilingual approach and sensitivity to cultural beliefs about pain fosters better patient education, improved compliance, and reduced opioid misuse risk in Latino communities.
Dr. Isabela O. Morales
- Specialty: Pulmonology, Critical Care.
- Major Roles:
- ICU director in a suburban hospital.
- Engaged in patient safety committees aimed at bridging language gaps for acute respiratory conditions.
- Significance:
Dr. Morales’s leadership in the ICU highlights diaspora physicians’ ability to unify advanced clinical practice, Spanish-language communication, and culturally aware palliative care guidelines.
Conclusion
From small community clinics to elite research institutions, Mexican-origin doctors play vital roles in American medicine. The twenty-plus profiles above illustrate how they bring not only clinical expertise but also nuanced cultural competency, bridging health disparities for Latino and other underserved populations. They contribute to research, policy-making, and philanthropic outreach that resonates both in the U.S. and back in Mexico. While this list offers a snapshot, many more Mexican-origin physicians continue to shape the healthcare landscape in diverse specialties nationwide, affirming the ongoing value of cross-cultural perspectives in improving public health.
