At the 2020 AL DÍA Top Doctors Forum & Reception, attendees will be graced with the presence of one of the most influential leaders of the medical profession for Hispanics nationwide.

Dr. Elena Rios has become one of the most recognized and influential medical professionals in the U.S. over the past 20-plus years.

As president & CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), she is a leader in representing the Hispanic physicians in the United States. In the role since 1998, the NHMA has the mission of empowering Hispanic physicians to lead efforts in improving the health of Hispanic and other underserved populations in collaboration with the state Hispanic medical societies, resident and medical student organizations, and other public and private sector partners. She helped co-found the organization in 1994. 

Currently, the organization represents 50,000 Hispanic physicians in the United States, all with the mission of improving the health of Hispanics. 

From the early parts of her foray into her training in medicine, Dr. Rios has worked tirelessly to improve the recruitment and success rates of students of color in medical schools in the country.

Her desire to accomplish this was aided by her co-founding the National Network of Latin American Medical Students in 1989. Since then, she has held numerous appointments in California programs designed to improve educational and career opportunities for people of color in health professions.  

Throughout her career, Dr. Rios has received a number of awards, including the American Association of Indian Physicians Appreciation Award in 1995, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health Award in 1998. She was also named one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics of the Nation by the Hispanic Business Magazine in 2001 and received the American Public Health Association's Latino Caucus Distinguished Career Award the same year.

During the Top Doctors event, Dr. Rios will talk about her journey into the medical profession, as well as the importance of improving the diversity in the field. 

The 2020 AL DIA Top Doctors Forum & Reception will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020 in the Lincoln Memorial at the Union League of Philadelphia from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. To purchase tickets to the event, click here.