Santa Clara Valley Healthcare says the industry is facing a critical shortage of Latine physicians nationwide and locally in California. Officials said the Latine community represents nearly 20% of the country's population, whereas Latine physicians make up just less than 7%. That is why health leaders in Santa Clara gathered together to celebrate the work of Latine physicians and nurses, while also pushing for the next generation to join the industry.
Santa Clara Valley Healthcare hosted a celebration for its community on Wednesday, ahead of the National Latino Physicians Day on October 1. For Leo Gonzalez Ordaz, it all comes down to helping those in need. "We're here to help out whoever walks in through those doors, whatever they need, we are there to help them out," San Jose State pre-med student Gonzalez Ordaz told CBS News Bay Area.
He said he aspires to be a physician, and spends his time volunteering at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. "I escort patients and visitors to their desired rooms or where they need to go departments. I assist with the screener's desk too, check in patients and visitors," Gonzalez Ordaz said.
His parents, who immigrated from Mexico to Sunnyvale, wanted a better life for their children. His father is a landscaper, and his mother is a housekeeper. "He's working so hard, every day at school.
I can see the struggles, and just being there to support is the best," his mother, Marisol Ordaz, told CBS News Bay Area. He and his family have also b.