Lorena Verdugo

Board Vice-Chair

CHW, BS

The youngest of seven children, Lorena was born in Mendoza Argentina. Both of her parents are Chilean, as well as all her brothers and sisters. Lorena’s family came to the United States when Lorena was only 11 months. Tucson is home for Lorena. This is where she married had twins who are now 11 and a boy who is 5 years old. Tucson is also where Lorena works as Community Health Advisor for El Rio Health Center. She brings education to myriad community events, which include women in shelters and jail. She has also participated in collaboration with Dr. Francisco Garcia on his REACH 2010 grant to prevent cervical cancer particularly in Hispanic women in the greater Tucson community.

Lorena has also participated in exercise and nutrition classes in a collaborative project with the AZ Cooperative Extension. Currently Lorena is Coordinator of the local “Ventanilla de Salud” which is located inside the Mexican Consulate in Tucson. She provides on-site assistance and outreach to low-income and Hispanic migrant families unfamiliar with the US health system. She is often sought out for special projects and has provided leadership within AZCHOW (Arizona Community Health Outreach Workers) as a board member in the state of Arizona. She recently advocated for El Rio Health Center to develop a postpartum depression program for Latina women in the community, having found a lack of focused resources on this topic through her own life experience