National Hispanic Heritage Month: Health Care Heroes
Published
How 2 health care heroes support their communities — and themselves
From September 15th to October 15th, we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, honoring Hispanic and Latinx culture, experiences, and contributions to our communities. The American Nurses Association (ANA) recognizes the vital impact Hispanic and Latinx nurses have on health care and the lives of patients.
This month, we spotlight 2 Hispanic health care heroes who champion health equity and advocate for their patients and communities.
Tina Loarte-Rodriguez, DNP, RN, CPPS, CPHRM
Dr. Loarte-Rodriguez spent years of her nursing career feeling that Latinx voices were missing from the health care system. At the end of 2020, the devastating consequences of COVID-19 and racial tensions left her feeling emotionally exhausted and in need of healing.
“I love to read,” she says. “I sought healing in books. But I couldn’t find a book about me, one that represented the experiences of a Latina nurse. So, I decided to create one.”
Latinas in Nursing
In 2023, Dr. Loarte-Rodriguez published Latinas in Nursing, a compilation of stories from 15 Latina women in the nursing profession. “These brave nurses trusted me and my vision to document their stories,” she says. “They were completely vulnerable in sharing their journeys.”
Inspired by the huge success of Latinas in Nursing (Volumes 1 and 2), Dr. Loarte-Rodriguez released the inaugural Latinos in Nursing in May 2025. She is continuing both series and developing a third, LGBTQIA+ in Nursing, to ensure all Latinx nurses see their experiences reflected.
She also founded the nonprofit Latinas in Nursing, which provides support, resources, and opportunities for Latinx nurses to continue improving nursing and health care.
Advocating for mental health
Dr. Loarte-Rodriguez is a champion for mental health — for herself, her family, and her teams. “Whether I’m leading staff meetings or giving keynote speeches, I always advocate for mental health,” she says. “It’s so important for each of us to normalize seeking help for mental or emotional challenges.”
She recommends people take advantage of their Employee Assistance Program (EAP), if it is offered through their employer or health insurance provider.
“It gives you access to several benefits, including sessions with licensed therapists,” she says.
Some plans have 24-hour on-call therapists, a benefit Dr. Loarte-Rodriguez appreciates. “One day, I just needed to talk to someone,” she says. “I was immediately connected with a professional on the phone. It was accessible, reliable, and timely. And it really provided me with stability and a plan to move forward as I was navigating an emotional event.”
Never lose hope
For nurses facing mental health challenges, Dr. Loarte-Rodriguez offers this encouragement: “You’re not alone. Don’t lose hope. Continue to build your toolbox, and things will shift.”
Tina Loarte-Rodriguez, DNP, RN, CPPS, CPHRM, is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce and Chief Executive Officer of Latinas in Nursing.
José González-Soto, DNP, PMHNP-BC, LMHC
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Dr. José González-Soto is a doctorally prepared bilingual psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and licensed mental health counselor. He holds a doctoral and master’s degree from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL, a master’s degree from St. John Fisher University in Rochester, NY, and bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez in Mayagüez, PR. He has a decade of experience in behavioral health, addiction recovery, neuroscience, and trauma-informed care.
“As a first-generation individual, I felt the weight of inherited legacies — some filled with wisdom, others shaped by sacrifice and expectations I never chose,” he shares. “Forging my own identity has been a complex journey.”
Supporting underrepresented communities
From a young age, Dr. González-Soto was drawn to service — mission trips, volunteering abroad, and supporting underserved communities. These experiences shaped his commitment to culturally responsive care and advocacy for those navigating life from the margins.
“I understand what it’s like to feel trapped by generational trauma, culture, religion, and systemic shortcomings,” he says. “But no two journeys look alike. Honoring those differences invites deeper compassion.”
His passion for equity and healing led him to pursue dual roles in psychiatric nursing and mental health counseling. “Navigating life from the margins — whether due to race, gender, sexuality, disability, or identity — often carries invisible weight,” he says. “But I’ve learned I’m not bound by those stories. I can rewrite them with courage and vision.”
Discovering the Minority Fellowship Program
While studying at The University of Alabama, a peer encouraged him to apply to the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP), which supports behavioral health nurses from underrepresented backgrounds to reduce disparities and improve health outcomes.
“The MFP is a lifeline,” he says. “It gave me culturally responsive mentorship and tools that strengthened my resilience and identity.”
The cost of caring
During more than a decade in nursing, Dr. González-Soto witnessed the emotional toll of caregiving, including trauma in health care, workplace violence, unsafe work environments, and systemic failures. “Caring isn’t soft. It’s emotional, physical, and spiritual labor,” he says. “Resilience isn’t about tolerating the intolerable. It’s about honoring pain and choosing differently.”
Reclaiming his well-being
Now, Dr. González-Soto is reclaiming his own well-being and helping others do the same. He recently launched the Reclaim & Reauthor™ Wellness Institute, a platform dedicated to rewriting relationships with stress, burnout, and identity through narrative coaching and mentorship.
“When people face inner valleys or seek transformation, I help them restore, reclaim, and reauthor their path,” he says. “Pain may shape your journey, but healing lets you choose your direction.”
Dr. González-Soto continues to provide mental health counseling and addiction recovery care, blending clinical expertise with deep compassion. His story is one of courage, resilience, and unwavering commitment to healing — both his own and that of the communities he serves.
José González-Soto, DNP, PMHNP-BC, LMHC, is a bilingual psychiatric and addiction nurse practitioner and licensed mental health counselor. He is an alumnus of the MFP at the American Nurses Association and founder of Reclaim & Reauthor™ Wellness Institute.
Do you know a health care hero who supports and shapes their community? Share with us in the comments!
Not a member of Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation (HNHN) yet? Join today!
Join our monthly challenges at hnhn.org/challenges!
This month, we spotlight 2 Hispanic health care heroes who champion health equity and advocate for their patients and communities.
Tina Loarte-Rodriguez, DNP, RN, CPPS, CPHRM
Dr. Loarte-Rodriguez spent years of her nursing career feeling that Latinx voices were missing from the health care system. At the end of 2020, the devastating consequences of COVID-19 and racial tensions left her feeling emotionally exhausted and in need of healing.
“I love to read,” she says. “I sought healing in books. But I couldn’t find a book about me, one that represented the experiences of a Latina nurse. So, I decided to create one.”
Latinas in Nursing
In 2023, Dr. Loarte-Rodriguez published Latinas in Nursing, a compilation of stories from 15 Latina women in the nursing profession. “These brave nurses trusted me and my vision to document their stories,” she says. “They were completely vulnerable in sharing their journeys.”
Inspired by the huge success of Latinas in Nursing (Volumes 1 and 2), Dr. Loarte-Rodriguez released the inaugural Latinos in Nursing in May 2025. She is continuing both series and developing a third, LGBTQIA+ in Nursing, to ensure all Latinx nurses see their experiences reflected.
She also founded the nonprofit Latinas in Nursing, which provides support, resources, and opportunities for Latinx nurses to continue improving nursing and health care.
Advocating for mental health
Dr. Loarte-Rodriguez is a champion for mental health — for herself, her family, and her teams. “Whether I’m leading staff meetings or giving keynote speeches, I always advocate for mental health,” she says. “It’s so important for each of us to normalize seeking help for mental or emotional challenges.”
She recommends people take advantage of their Employee Assistance Program (EAP), if it is offered through their employer or health insurance provider.
“It gives you access to several benefits, including sessions with licensed therapists,” she says.
Some plans have 24-hour on-call therapists, a benefit Dr. Loarte-Rodriguez appreciates. “One day, I just needed to talk to someone,” she says. “I was immediately connected with a professional on the phone. It was accessible, reliable, and timely. And it really provided me with stability and a plan to move forward as I was navigating an emotional event.”
Never lose hope
For nurses facing mental health challenges, Dr. Loarte-Rodriguez offers this encouragement: “You’re not alone. Don’t lose hope. Continue to build your toolbox, and things will shift.”
Tina Loarte-Rodriguez, DNP, RN, CPPS, CPHRM, is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce and Chief Executive Officer of Latinas in Nursing.
José González-Soto, DNP, PMHNP-BC, LMHC
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Dr. José González-Soto is a doctorally prepared bilingual psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and licensed mental health counselor. He holds a doctoral and master’s degree from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL, a master’s degree from St. John Fisher University in Rochester, NY, and bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez in Mayagüez, PR. He has a decade of experience in behavioral health, addiction recovery, neuroscience, and trauma-informed care.
“As a first-generation individual, I felt the weight of inherited legacies — some filled with wisdom, others shaped by sacrifice and expectations I never chose,” he shares. “Forging my own identity has been a complex journey.”
Supporting underrepresented communities
From a young age, Dr. González-Soto was drawn to service — mission trips, volunteering abroad, and supporting underserved communities. These experiences shaped his commitment to culturally responsive care and advocacy for those navigating life from the margins.
“I understand what it’s like to feel trapped by generational trauma, culture, religion, and systemic shortcomings,” he says. “But no two journeys look alike. Honoring those differences invites deeper compassion.”
His passion for equity and healing led him to pursue dual roles in psychiatric nursing and mental health counseling. “Navigating life from the margins — whether due to race, gender, sexuality, disability, or identity — often carries invisible weight,” he says. “But I’ve learned I’m not bound by those stories. I can rewrite them with courage and vision.”
Discovering the Minority Fellowship Program
While studying at The University of Alabama, a peer encouraged him to apply to the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP), which supports behavioral health nurses from underrepresented backgrounds to reduce disparities and improve health outcomes.
“The MFP is a lifeline,” he says. “It gave me culturally responsive mentorship and tools that strengthened my resilience and identity.”
The cost of caring
During more than a decade in nursing, Dr. González-Soto witnessed the emotional toll of caregiving, including trauma in health care, workplace violence, unsafe work environments, and systemic failures. “Caring isn’t soft. It’s emotional, physical, and spiritual labor,” he says. “Resilience isn’t about tolerating the intolerable. It’s about honoring pain and choosing differently.”
Reclaiming his well-being
Now, Dr. González-Soto is reclaiming his own well-being and helping others do the same. He recently launched the Reclaim & Reauthor™ Wellness Institute, a platform dedicated to rewriting relationships with stress, burnout, and identity through narrative coaching and mentorship.
“When people face inner valleys or seek transformation, I help them restore, reclaim, and reauthor their path,” he says. “Pain may shape your journey, but healing lets you choose your direction.”
Dr. González-Soto continues to provide mental health counseling and addiction recovery care, blending clinical expertise with deep compassion. His story is one of courage, resilience, and unwavering commitment to healing — both his own and that of the communities he serves.
José González-Soto, DNP, PMHNP-BC, LMHC, is a bilingual psychiatric and addiction nurse practitioner and licensed mental health counselor. He is an alumnus of the MFP at the American Nurses Association and founder of Reclaim & Reauthor™ Wellness Institute.
Do you know a health care hero who supports and shapes their community? Share with us in the comments!
Not a member of Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation (HNHN) yet? Join today!
Join our monthly challenges at hnhn.org/challenges!
Blog Quality of Life
09/11/2025 1:35pm CDT
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