I am Dr. Helen Rodrigeuz-Trias. I was born on 7 July 1929 in New York. I grew up in both Puerto Rico and New York. I came from a very poor and large family. I know what it’s like to not have good medical care. I have always had a strong sense of what was right and wrong. I used that as motivation to graduate from medical school, serve poor communities who really needed my help, and become the first Latina president of the American Public Health Association.

My most notable position was as the first Latina president of the American Public Health Association began in 1993. I was one of the original and founding members of the committees for Abortion Rights and to End Sterilization Abuse. I feel strong about these causes because I saw how my sisters, aunts, and mother were mistreated. I also served as medical director of the Health AIDS institute. These positions are some of the main reasons that I was appointed as the president. While working with the American Public Health Association, I wrote and reviewed policies with Bill Foege, whom I had considered a mentor. Together we focused on changing the rules and policies on the health of children and women.

While serving as president of the American Public Health Association, I worked for equity in the health care section. I focused on women, children, and people of color. I ensured lower class citizens received the same quality care other people did. During my leadership, national and international organizations expanded worldwide, especially in developing nations. Towards the end of my presidency I said “I hope I'll see in my lifetime a growing realization that we are one world. And that no one is going to have quality of life unless we support everyone's quality of life. Not on a basis of do-goodism, but because of a real commitment, it's our collective and personal health that's at stake.” I now see that my position as the president and my background as Latina really helped do just that.

My whole career I always focused on women’s health and pediatrics, but later I worked with women who had HIV. This led me to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal. As I walked toward President Bill Clinton to accept my award I thought “Wow, my work really must have helped people.” I had never felt so proud of myself before. After I got the medal on 8 January 2001, I still continued my work till later that year.

I now know that because of my hard work in becoming the first Latina president of the American Public Health Association made it all possible for me to make such a large impact in low income neighborhoods and for people of color. They now have more opportunities to get better care for their families. I’ll always remember the communities that I worked for and how we made lives better together. It makes me feel very proud.