Doctor Dedicates Career to Aiding Low-Income Families

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The 1960s were a time of upheaval in American society, but for Dr. James Cruz, there was inspiration to be found in political turmoil.

“My family’s hometown is Delano, and their roots are in farm-working,” said Cruz. “Delano is also the birthplace of the United Farm Workers, so growing up as a little boy that was a very big part of my life.”

His mother and father made a point of stressing to him the inequality that America struggled with at that time.

“These inequalities were a part of my development. My parents said, ‘Whatever you do, you need to contribute in a meaningful way that rectifies inequity,’” he said.

With a goal of alleviating that inequality, he entered medical school in 1982 at UC San Diego. His professional life since graduation has been focused on serving low-income communities.

Cruz sees his recent acceptance of a job as medical director for Molina Healthcare of California in Long Beach as maintaining that pursuit.

“For me it’s ideal, because Molina focuses strictly on the low-income and vulnerable population that inspired me to go into medicine in the first place,” he said.

Cruz always saw administrative work as a better way to help people than working as a practicing doctor. After completing his residency at White Memorial Medical Center in East Los Angeles in 1991, he joined the faculty at UC San Francisco’s Fresno campus and developed a family medicine program for migrant farm workers there. The program was among the first of its kind in the nation.

“Even though I don’t practice medicine, I still can be a contributor to helping these individuals as a medical director, assuring that an appropriate level of services is given to these people,” he said.

Cruz, 50, is divorced and lives in San Clemente. He has a 19-year-old son, Adam, and a 16-year-old daughter, Anelisa. In his spare time, he enjoys hitting the beach and cooking.

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