In follow-up to last year's visit to Mexico, Siembra Azul Foundation founder David Suro-Piñera returned to San Mateo Ozoloco, Puebla, with a delegation that included the first lady of Mexico, Mrs. Margarita Zavala, Ms. Nora Litz of the Mural Arts Project, and Puentes de Salud founders Steven Larson, MD, and Matthew O'Brien, MD. 

Over the past year, through the generous support and advocacy of the first lady, both private and public resources have been focused on children's education, health and culture in the village of San Mateo Ozoloco. The delegation participated in the dedication ceremony celebrating the commitment of resources and funds to the community's primary and secondary schools, as well as the completion of the mural arts program by Ms. Litz.

The visit provided a unique opportunity for Medical Director Matthew O'Brien, MD, to present Puentes de Salud's model for promoting the health and wellness of South Philadelphia's Latino families to Ms. Zavala and health officials from the local and national government. This presentation covered Puentes de Salud's clinical work and the range of community-based programs that target the social determinants of health in South Philadelphia. The presentation concluded with a discussion about opportunities for collaboration with the Mexican government in ensuring the wellness of this binational community.

In response to this successful visit, David Suro-Piñera announced preliminary plans to host a visit to Philadelphia by first lady Margarita Zavala in late summer/early fall. In addition to highlighting education and cultural initiatives, the visit will also provide a unique opportunity for Puentes de Salud to demonstrate its impact on the local Latino immigrant population, and will bring citywide attention to this vibrant community, which has remained largely unnoticed since the arrival of its first members in the early 2000s.

Read about Puentes de Salud's first trip to Mexico with the Siembra Azul Foundation.