2022 She's Local Goddess Award

Every year, during each local conference, our Board of Directors presents the She’s Local Goddess Award to a woman who personifies the three distinct traits that are reflective of a women’s contribution towards the creation of a stronger local community; 

  • She embraces life’s challenges with optimism and bravery, 
  • She tests traditional thinking to initiate change, and
  • She ventures beyond herself to empower and collaborate with others.
2022 Winner – Dr. Milagros Abreu

President/CEO and Founder, The Latino Health Insurance Program, Inc. www.lhiprogram.org

Dr. Milagros Abreu is the President – CEO and Founder of the Latino Health Insurance Program, Inc. (LHIP).  After obtaining her Medical Degree and residency in Pediatrics, Dr. Abreu worked for BMC and Boston University, where she obtained her master’s degree in Epidemiology at BU School of Public Health. She worked as an Assistant Professor for BUSPH, Epidemiology Department until 2012.  In 2006, she founded LHIP.  LHIP has assisted 86,000 individuals and families on health care access, chronic disease prevention, federal nutritional programs, and disease management in MA. Dr. Abreu has been an award recipient for her tremendous efforts to reduce health care disparities and contributions to public health. She was presented the Latinx Excellence on the Hill Award in 2019 by the Black and Latino Caucus after being nominated by the Senate President for this distinction. The Framingham Medical Reserve Corps, City of Boston, Massachusetts State Senate, Massachusetts Medical Society with its Ingersoll Bowditch Award for Excellent in Public Health, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, and the 1st Kate Lorig Innovator award, among others.  Her research studies include increase access to preventive medicine, how to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations, the benefits of Diabetes Self-Management Education in the control of diabetes, the benefits of partnering with community-based organization in the management and control of chronic conditions, cross-culture medicine, cultural competency in the medical settings, workforce diversity and the impact of language in health care. She is also a Master Trainer of “Tomando Control de su salud”, the Spanish version of CDSMP and a volunteer SHINE counselor. 

Previous winners:
2021 Winner – Deborah Sweet, writer, activist, and advocate
2019 – Linda Simpkins, retired director of the Natick Community Organic Farm
2018 – Christine Suau, DIPG family advocate #whynotdevin

2022 Goddess Sponsor: Workhuman

Check out this video about local jobs with Workhuman.