Dr. Leo Lopez named national “40 Under 40” leader in minority health

Dr. Leo Lopez III, MHS, will receive the 2023 National Minority Quality Forum’s (NMQF) 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health award today in Washington, D.C.

Lopez is the medical director of University Health’s Institute for Public Health and for school-based health clinics, as well as a primary care physician with University Medicine Associates.

The Institute for Public Health, established in March of last year, is a strategic hub that connects the people and programs at University Health working to promote health, prevent disease and prolong life in our community. The institute aligns this collective effort with external partners that share our vision to eliminate health disparities and achieve equity, such as the Bexar County Preventative Public Health Department and the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.

“Public health challenges us to think beyond the walls of our clinics,” Lopez said. “It’s the health of our neighborhoods, schools, businesses – it’s everybody’s health. And our work toward reducing health disparities and achieving health equity will help our entire community thrive.”

That public health work extends to Lopez’s leadership of the school-based clinics.

“Dr. Lopez’s commitment to improving community health and advancing health literacy is evident through his leadership of University Health’s school-based clinics,” said Dr. Monika Kapur, president and chief executive officer of University Medicine Associates. “I am delighted to congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition.”

University Health’s school-based clinics bring health care to students and their families where they live and learn. The clinics provide care for a range of health issues from immunizations and preventative health to primary and minor acute care. Bringing high quality and compassionate health care to the patient in the community helps adults and children prosper.

The NMQF is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to ensuring vulnerable populations obtain optimal health care. The 2023 honorees for the 40 Under 40 class are composed of health leaders under the age of 40 from minority populations who have worked to strengthen their communities and reduce health disparities for the patients they serve.

A graduate of the University of Texas Long School of Medicine, Lopez completed residency training in family medicine at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa. He earned a master’s degree in Health Science at Yale University while completing a fellowship in health services research with the National Clinician Scholars Program at the Yale School of Medicine.