Get to Know Alejandra Casarrubias

After fleeing violence in her native Mexico City, Bloomberg Fellow Alejandra Casarrubias moved to the U.S. and made it her life’s work to help others. She earned her nursing degree and went on to practice in a rehabilitation hospital, an urgent care clinic, and an emergency department. Today, she is the clinical manager at Casa de Salud Clinic in New Mexico and one of only a handful of sexual assault nurse examiners in the central counties of New Mexico.

In these roles, she weaves culturally sensitive practices into every interaction so that survivors feel both safe and seen. “Please be kind”, she urges her fellow medical practitioners, “we have to acknowledge the humanity of every patient we see and treat them with the respect that everyone deserves. Regardless of skin color, language, place of origin, religion, or sexual preferences, everyone needs kindness—especially during the most challenging times.”

Many of the patients Casarrubias helps are immigrants who travel hours to seek care at the only level one trauma center in the state. Many express fear, not only around illness or a terminal diagnosis but also of getting deported or discriminated against. 

As one of the only Spanish-speaking sexual assault nurse examiners in the state, Casarrubias recalls years when she treated more than 80% of the state’s Spanish‑speaking survivors. “Some patients drove up to four hours after being assaulted just to see us,” she recalls. “I can’t imagine the sacrifices they made to receive care.” 

Seeing the need to improve access to healthcare in a very rural part of the country, Casarrubias applied to the Bloomberg Fellowship. Since joining, she has found a network of peers committed to creating a difference in their communities and building better structures to treat marginalized communities. She now hopes to help her community on a larger scale, bringing dignity, respect, support, and accessible healthcare to patients in need, and breaking down barriers one person at a time.