“We need health, but above all we need to create a grounding for healthy public policy that redresses and salvages the growing inequities. We cannot achieve a healthier us without achieving a healthier, more equitable health care system, and ultimately, a more equitable society.” – Helen Trías
Helen Trías (1929-2001) was an American pediatrician, educator, and women’s rights activist. Although she was born in New York, her family moved to Puerto Rico shortly after her birth and moved back to NY when she was 10 years old. Unfortunately, she experienced discrimination in America within the society and education system, gaining limited access to opportunities simply because of her background. Choosing to pursue a medical career path because she loved working with science and people, she earned her medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan (1960). Further, she was a strong advocate for women’s rights throughout her career. Trías founded multiple committees focused on abortion rights and drafting guidelines to end non-consented sterilizations targeting minority women. For her work, she was awarded the Presidential Citizen’s Medal for her work on behalf of women, children, low-income families, and people with HIV/AIDS (2001). In 2019, New York City commissioned a statue to be built to honor all her contributions creating equitable health care systems.