Fiscal Year 2007 - Department of Medicine - University of ...

icine at Cook County Hospital in Chicago
and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at
Louisiana State University. He earned his
medical degree from Universidad Nacional
Pedro Henriquez Ureña in Santo Domingo
and his MPH from Tulane University.
“Even before I began medical
school, I was interested in STDs and HIV,”
said Mena. “But as soon as I began my residency,
I definitely knew I wanted to focus
my career in that arena.
“What is so fascinating to me about
STDs and HIV is how deeply related these
infections are to human behavior,” Mena
continued. “I like to imagine there is a
‘black box’ of relevant knowledge that separates
knowledge from action. That box
probably holds the keys for STI prevention
and control, and to better understand its
contents is one of my career goals,” he
said.
As a resident at Cook County Hospital,
Mena saw first-hand that, even with
the help of translators, dramatic language
barriers between medical providers and
HIV-positive Latino patients compromised
the effectiveness of their health care. One
of Mena’s first initiatives at the hospital was
to conduct a needs assessment and policy
proposal to help close the communication
gap between its healthcare providers and
their Latino patients.
According to Stanley Chapman, director
of the department’s Division of Infectious
Diseases, Mena has made
remarkable strides in the four years that he
has been at UMMC. “Dr. Mena is a gifted
physician, a talented researcher, and a person
who is genuinely committed to his pro-
fession. He is noble in his care for others, tireless in his pursuit
of excellence, and without equal in personal integrity
and professional compassion,” said Chapman. “We are so
fortunate to have him as a member of our faculty and director
of our Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program.”
Mena assumed directorship of the Infectious Diseases
Fellowship Program this past year. As its new director,
Mena hopes to provide the fellows with the tools they need
in order to be successful. “Whatever path in life the fellows
choose,” said Mena, “I want to make sure our program provides
adequate exposure to accommodate their varied options.
They have strong clinical training, so I hope to
encourage a greater involvement in research,” he said.
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