8.3 linear feet
(19 boxes) plus 1 oversize framed item (28” high x 28” wide; .1 linear
feet)
Abstract:
Dr. Augusto Ortiz lived and worked in Arizona most of his
professional life from 1953 until his death in 2006. Throughout his career as a
family practitioner and educator he worked to bring health care to the poor and
underserved. In his earlier years he worked in private practice in the Phoenix area
primarily serving a needy Hispanic population. In 1972 Dr. Ortiz moved to Tucson and
established a mobile health program based out of the University of Arizona’s Rural
Health Office which provided health care to many rural and underserved areas in
southeastern Arizona. Areas of particular interest to him included community
oriented primary care, migrant laborer health care, health education and folk
medicine including herbal folk remedies and curanderismo. This collection contains
Ortiz correspondence from over a 35-year period (1969-2004) as well as documents
corresponding to each of the topics mentioned above including extensive
documentation relating to the Mobile Health Program. The collection also includes
Dr. Ortiz’s U.S. Surgeon General Medallion.
Collection Number:
MS 694
Language:
Materials are in English predominantly. Some in Spanish.
Repository:
University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections
University of Arizona
PO Box 210055
Tucson, AZ 85721-0055
Phone: 520-621-6423
Fax: 520-621-9733
URL: http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/
E-Mail: LBRY-askspcoll@email.arizona.edu
Biographical Note
Dr. Augusto “Gus” Ortiz was a family practitioner and educator, originally from
Puerto Rico. Dr. Ortiz received his M.D. degree from the University of Illinois
College of Medicine in 1949. As a doctor he first worked in Detroit and then in 1953
moved to Arizona to work at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale. In private practice in
Phoenix for 17 years, he primarily served the needy Hispanic population there. He
founded the inner city Neighborhood Doctors Office program, in collaboration with
four major hospitals, to help solve inaccessibility problems of “notch group”
patients – utilizing physician volunteers and with medical society approval. He also
founded Citizens for Better Health and worked with various local organizations
including the Maricopa County Community Health Network, the Comprehensive Health
Planning Council of Maricopa County and Operation LEAP (Leadership and Education for
the Advancement of Phoenix) to improve access to health care.
In 1972, Herbert Abrams MD recruited Dr. Ortiz to Tucson and the University of
Arizona College of Medicine. Dr. Ortiz practiced in rural and urban clinics while
teaching students from many health care disciplines. He established community health
centers in various rural areas and initiated satellite clinics in El Río Health
Center and West Pinal Family Health Center. He provided clinical services to areas
where inaccessibility of care often leads to overutilization of emergency and
hospital services. Working with volunteer and governmental agencies, he inspired
health education programs for residents of underserved communities, pressed for
legislation against pesticides and the short-handled hoe, and testified in favor of
providing adequate sanitation for migrant farm workers. In collaboration with the
University of Phoenix Center for Nursing Leadership, he initiated a program to train
volunteers as health care assistants. A major thrust of his efforts was health
promotion and disease prevention, including community education in self-care and in
the political process to bring about changes in the system.
Dr. Ortiz’s three decades-long mobile health program effort provided health care to
communities throughout southern Arizona as well as helping many of those communities
establish permanent community health centers. Among the communities served by Dr.
Ortiz and the mobile health program were Marana, Rillito, Casa Grande, Continental,
Green Valley, Sahuarita, Arivaca, Three Points, Lakewood/Amado, Littletown, Helmet
Peak, Tombstone and Catalina.
Other projects, initiatives and organizations relating to Dr. Ortiz’s work included
a Manpower Distribution Demonstration Project, a Community Health Worker Project,
the Arizona Rural Health Federation, the Southern Arizona Rural Health Initiative,
the United Community Health Center, the National Health Service Corps, Community
Health Action on Wheels and the Community Health Aide Program. Dr. Ortiz was also a
medical educator and served as teacher, preceptor and mentor to students in many
health care disciplines. Working in partnership with his wife, Martha, Dr. Ortiz
dedicated his life to bringing health care to the poor and the underserved while
also fighting for legislative changes what would protect health and make health care
more widely available to the poor and underserved. Throughout his life Dr. Ortiz’s
received various awards in recognition of his important work. On July 19, 2006 U.S.
Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona awarded Dr. Ortiz the U.S. Surgeon General
Medallion. Dr. Ortiz died December 16, 2006.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains Ortiz correspondence from 1969-2004 as well as documents
relating to Citizens for Better Health, the Neighborhood Doctor’s Offices, the
Maricopa County Community Health Network, the Comprehensive Health Planning Council
of Maricopa County, Operation LEAP Leadership and Education for the Advancement of
Phoenix), a Manpower Distribution Demonstration Project, a Community Health Worker
Project, the Arizona Rural Health Federation, the Southern Arizona Rural Health
Initiative, the United Community Health Center, the National Health Service Corps,
Community Health Action on Wheels, the Community Health Aide Program, medical
education and students, community oriented primary care, migrant laborer health,
folk medicine and extensive documentation relating to the Mobile Health Program that
Dr. Ortiz created. The collection also includes Dr. Ortiz’s U.S. Surgeon General
Medallion. Formerly collection number HT 0025.
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner
of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her
transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify
and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the University of Arizona, its
officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person
asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
Medicine and health care delivery in Southern Arizona/
Augusto Ortiz, M.D., May 26, 1994 ; Nancy Vuckovic, Interviewer. [Arizona Historical
Society Oral History Project ; AV 0582-13.] AHSL-Tucson (Special Collections 1) WZ
70 AA7 O77M 1994.
Access Terms
Personal Name(s)
Ortiz, Augusto,
1917-2006
Ortiz, Martha
Goodwine
Corporate Name(s)
Arizona Area Health Education Centers
Arizona Rural Health Federation
Citizens for Better Health (Maricopa County,
Ariz.)
Community Health Network (Maricopa County,
Ariz.)
Comprehensive Health Planning Council of Maricopa
County
Leadership and
Education for the Advancement of Phoenix (LEAP)
National Health Service Corps (U.S.)
Southern Arizona
Rural Health Initative
United Community
Health Center (Pima County, Ariz.)
United Community
Health Center (Santa Cruz County, Ariz.)
University of Arizona. College of Medicine.
Department of Family and Community Medicine
University of Arizona. College of Medicine. Rural
Health Office
Personal correspondence, photocopies, includes Morris K. Udall,
Barry Goldwater, Cesar Chavez, Andrew Nichols, Jim McNulty and John
McCain 1978-1991
23
2
Special Papers, Cesar Chavez correspondence and Ortiz Community
Health Center Grand Opening and Dedication program (signed by many
people), photocopies 1972-1973, 2004
2007-03.01; U.S. Surgeon General medallion award 2006 July 19
General
Note: The medal is one of four items that are mounted and framed as an
ensemble. The other three items are: 1) a certificate (signed by the
Surgeon General; awarded in Tucson July 19, 2006); 2) a color photograph
of Dr. Ortiz; and 3) a color photograph of the U. S. Surgeon General,
Richard Carmona.