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ForwardRoberto de la Cruz, MD
With more than 24 years of experience in a variety of clinical and leadership roles at Parkland, Roberto de la Cruz most recently served as Chief of the Hospitalist Service at Parkland before being named Chief Medical Officer in January 2016. In addition, he is a Clinical Professor in Internal Medicine at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He served as Associate Medical Director of Parkland’s East Dallas Health Center, now known as Hatcher Station Health Center, from 1998 to 2000. He also completed a two-year appointment to Parkland’s Board of Managers from 2011 to 2013 and has served on the Board of Directors of the Parkland Foundation.
Dr. de la Cruz is a 15-year veteran of Hospitalist Medicine and was Associate Medical Director of the Texas Primary Care Hospitalist Service at Baylor Medical Center. He attended medical school at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine and completed his residency training at UT Southwestern and Parkland. He is double board certified in Internal Medicine as well as Palliative Care and Hospice Medicine.
Dr. de la Cruz received the Distinguished Physician Award at Parkland in 1999, the John S. Miller Outstanding House Officer Award at UT Southwestern in 1996 and the Teaching Award at Baylor University Medical Center in 2004. He is a member of the Society of Hospital Medicine and American College of Physicians.
After visiting his native Puerto Rico in 2017 to see firsthand the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria that plunged the island’s 3.4 million residents into a humanitarian crisis, Dr. de la Cruz knew he needed to do something. In early 2018, he took a two-month leave from Parkland to work with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Puerto Rico. His job was to help determine the current state of health care on the island and its capacity to prepare for the next storm. At the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria, Dr. de la Cruz said, “I believe Puerto Rico will recover, but it will look different. This is not something that is going to take months; it will take years.
Financial relationships
**Disclaimer**
This Continuing Medical Education (CME) Learning Management System, Ethos, includes individuals designated as 'faculty' for CME purposes. Please note that the term 'faculty' refers solely to their role as a contributor/planner within a CME activity and does not imply any formal affiliation with UT Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW). The display of names and credentials is intended for educational purposes only and does not necessarily indicate a professional or academic relationship with UTSW. Participants are encouraged to verify the affiliations and credentials of faculty members independently if further clarification is needed.