These healthcare workers now celebrate National Latine Physician's Day on October first to bring awareness to these statistics and deliver a call to action to do better.
"We are done being passive, this is a physician shortage crisis," said National Latine Physicians Day Co-Founder Dr. Cesar Padilla. The concern these physicians have is that just like with any relationship, a doctor-patient bond requires a certain amount of trust in order to work properly. Without that trust, people don't feel safe seeking care."There's so much fear and anxiety," Ruiz said. "You're worried about what the doctor's going to say, blood pressure. You're worried about judgment. You're worried about so many things.
They want the next step to be building the pipeline in schools from a young age to help turn the tide and make a difference. "Our healthcare systems should make a concerted effort to provide early opportunities in volunteering, interning and working within our health system to the communities we serve," said Santa Clara Valley Healthcare Primary Care Medical Director Dr. Angela Suarez.