The Latino Equity Fund, the Commonwealth’s first philanthropic fund focused on the Latino community, announced today the addition of two Boston-area leaders to the Fund’s Committee: Joseph R. Betancourt, senior vice president of Equity and Community Health of Massachusetts General Hospital and Ruben F. Salinas, a medical technology serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, investor, government advisor and activist. They join the 16-person committee working to meet the healthcare and economic equity needs of the Latinx community.
“Dr. Betancourt and Ruben bring unique perspectives to our organization through their individual and collective backgrounds in the healthcare, life sciences and business sectors as we expand our reach to make a more equitable society for the Latinx community across the Commonwealth,” said Evelyn Barahona, director of the Latino Equity Fund. “The Latino community continues to be under-invested in Massachusetts and by expanding our diversity of voices, we increase our chances to elevate the issues that need to be addressed while highlighting the solutions to bridge these gaps in our community.”
Betancourt is a nationally and internationally acclaimed specialist in health policy, health care disparities, diversity, and cross-cultural medicine. He is the founder, senior advisor, and faculty member for the Disparities Solutions Center at MGH; faculty member at the Mongan Institute; associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a practicing internal medicine physician.
Salinas is an accomplished entrepreneur supporting underrepresented leaders in the fields of science, technology and business. For more than 20 years, he has built several companies and successfully pioneered medical technologies that greatly improve the outcomes for people facing life-threatening health conditions. Most recently, Salinas was founder and chief executive officer of Parsagen Diagnostics, a women’s health diagnostics company recently acquired by Qiagen. Appointed by Governor Charlie Baker, Salinas served on the Massachusetts Economic Development Planning Council.
