Voices on Health, Equity, and Leadership Close Hispanic Heritage Month
By Office of the President | Oct 21, 2025
Downstate reaffirmed its commitment to advancing health equity, inclusion, and leadership in the diverse communities we serve with a powerful and solutions-driven discussion titled “Latino and Underserved Community Leadership in Public Service, Health, and Equity.”
Powerfully moderated by Christina Guillén, MD, FAAP, Interim Chair of Pediatrics, who was introduced by Charles F. Brunicardi, M.D., FACS, Senior Vice President and Dean of the College of Medicine, the conversation looked beyond hospital walls to examine how health outcomes in Brooklyn, which is home to one of New York’s largest Latino populations, are shaped by housing, transportation, environmental justice, education, and trust.
I am grateful to our esteemed panelists that included Marlene Camacho-Rivera, ScD, MS, MPH, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, and Assistant Professor of Community Health Sciences; Elizabeth De León Bhargava, JD, Interim President of CUNY Guttman Community College and former HUD Assistant Secretary; José Díaz, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor in the STAR Program; and Kevin Garcia, Senior Transportation Planner with the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance.
Each brought a unique perspective, emphasizing a central message that meaningful progress in health equity requires collaboration beyond traditional boundaries. They called for healthcare systems to work in partnership with housing and transit planners, community advocates, and educators to develop culturally responsive, language-accessible, and environmentally conscious systems of care that reflect the lived experiences of the people they serve.
Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from September 15 to October 15, celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. For Downstate, this annual observance celebrates heritage and achievement. It reflects on its responsibility to confront inequities that continue to challenge health outcomes in Central Brooklyn and across New York City.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are foundations of better care, better science, and better community outcomes for Downstate. As Brooklyn’s only academic medical center, we recognize that health equity begins with trust, and trust begins with listening. By honoring language, culture, and family, and meeting people where they are, we bridge gaps in prevention and care.
This work also reflects the broader priorities of The State University of New York, which continues to lead nationally in expanding access, representation, and belonging. Downstate embodies that leadership through programs such as the School of Public Health’s social determinants of health curriculum, the STAR Program’s community-based HIV and preventive care initiatives, and university-wide partnerships that integrate research, training, and advocacy.
The conversation closed on a note of reflection and a renewed resolve that our commitment must extend beyond a month of celebration to a lifetime of change.
Through continued dialogue, collaboration, and education, Downstate aims to transform awareness into action, aligning healthcare delivery with local realities, diversifying the healthcare workforce, and fostering community trust. In doing so, we advance its mission to make health equity a shared responsibility across every borough, ensuring that every New Yorker, regardless of language, background, or zip code, has access to care that is close, trusted, and fair.
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