Ilan Shapiro

IIan Shapiro, MD is the Senior Vice-President and Chief Health Correspondent and Medical Affairs Officer for AltaMed Health Services. He supports strategies for external health communications, advocacy, and community relations. As the Chief Health Correspondent for AltaMed, Dr. Shapiro works closely with the Public Affairs, Community Affairs, Government Relations, and Civic Engagement departments to help expand community health and wellness initiatives.

Dr. Ilan Shapiro has been with AltaMed since 2016, and has made a significant impact on the organization and the greater communities it serves. He is a tireless advocate for health care equality, with a deep affinity for innovation and public health policy, especially relating to the Latino population.

In his prior role as AltaMed’s Medical Director of Health Education and Wellness, he helped to create and implement programs and services that expanded access to care and improved outcomes for the community. Between 2016–2017, he also served as Medical Director for Behavioral Health, and was instrumental in strengthening the practice and expanding AltaMed’s offerings.

Dr. Shapiro has been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic as a leading health expert, providing care, education and information. He has become a trusted media resource for both regional and national news outlets, including CNN, NBC, MSNBC, Telemundo, and Univision. At AltaMed, he is the face of our Community Affairs digital segment Conversaciones Vitales. Born from the pandemic, the episodes seek to educate the community and prevent any disinformation around important health topics as well as provide reliable information around common health care concerns.

Dr. Shapiro’s background includes award-winning public health work, often on the international stage. After graduating as Honorary Valedictorian with his medical degree, he worked for the Mexican Secretary of Health as the liaison between Mexico and the World Health Organization (WHO). He has created binational public health programs to improve the health of Hispanic communities on both sides of the border.

In 2011, he was invited to join the White House Hispanic Policy Group and help educate and raise awareness for the Affordable Care Act. Dr. Shapiro is also a recent recipient of the Othli Award, an honor presented by the Consul of Mexico to recognize individuals working to improve the lives of Mexican nationals living in the United States and abroad. Prior to joining AltaMed, Dr. Shapiro held numerous health and leadership roles that focused on traditionally underserved communities. He spent five years working with migratory agricultural workers’ families and the homeless in Southwest Florida and as a pediatric resident at Mount Sinai Children’s Hospital in Chicago. He believes these roles sparked his passion for meaningful, community-focused work. In addition to his work at AltaMed, Dr. Shapiro serves on the Board of Governors at L.A. Care Health Plan and the Gasol Foundation.