Romero honored for Mexico assist

Arkansas Health Secretary Jose Romero — a doctor who is also a professor of pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences — recently received the Ohtli Award, the highest award given by the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs to people residing outside Mexico.

The Ohtli Award’s name was derived from the Nahuatl word meaning “path,” alluding to the idea of opening a path for others. The award recognizes individuals who have aided, empowered or positively affected the lives of Mexican nationals in the United States and other countries.

Rodolfo Quilantan Arenas, from the Mexican Consulate in Little Rock, presented the award to Romero.

“Dr. Romero was chosen for this award because of his relentless commitment to ensuring equal and free access to COVID-19 vaccines,” Arenas said in a news release. “His service to the community has been invaluable.”

Romero is board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases. He is immediate past chairman of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is providing guidance on the use of covid-19 vaccines. He continues to be a nonvoting member of the committee’s Covid-19 Vaccines Work Group.

He is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Infectious Diseases and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials’ Infectious Diseases Policy Committee.

Romero previously served as chief medical officer at the Department of Health and was appointed as interim Secretary of Health by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in July 2020. He was director of the Section of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s from 2008 to 2020.