Maria Fernández, MD

Chapter Co-Chair

Dr. Fernández was born in Tampico, Mexico and moved to San Diego, CA when she was 3. Her bicultural and bilingual upbringing has had a major impact on both her personal and professional life. She pursued an undergraduate degree at Stanford University followed by a Master of Public Health at UC Berkeley.

She applied to medical school knowing she wanted to be a Family doctor in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). She currently practices as a Family physician in Reno’s largest FQHC, Community Health Alliance (CHA), where she primarily sees Spanish-speaking patients.

She has served as Medical Director at CHA for 3 years, bridging her passion for medicine and public health. She also serves as Community Faculty at UNR School of Medicine, mentoring pre-med students, medical students, Family Medicine residents and APP students.

Dr. Fernández is honored to serve as Co-Chair of the Nevada NHMA Chapter, where she advocates for the Latino community and works with colleagues nationwide to improve Latino health.

Jose R. Cucalon Calderon, MD, FAAP

Chapter Co-Chair

Jose R. Cucalon Calderon, MD, FAAP is a General Pediatrician at Renown Children’s Hospital and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. Bilingual and bicultural, he is deeply engaged in advancing Latino health — from improving vaccination rates to expanding access to mental health care.

He directs the Spanish for Medical Professionals Elective at UNR Med and helped launch the new Pediatric Residency Program. As an NHMA Healthcare Leadership Fellow, he is the Developer, Founder and current Co-Chair of the NHMA Nevada Chapter, leading efforts to support Latinx communities at local and national levels.