萝莉社

, a professor of medicine and cardiologist at 萝莉社 Jacksonville, was honored by the with the 2022 Distinguished Service Award. The award honors the recipient for their exceptional dedication and service to the members, committees and council of the Florida Chapter of the American College of Cardiology.

Velarde joined 萝莉社 in 2011 and has worked to advance the roles of women in medicine and science, especially in cardiology. She serves as medical director of the Women鈥檚 Cardiovascular Program at the 萝莉社 Cardiovascular Center and program director of the at the College of Medicine 鈥� Jacksonville. She also spends time with residents during their cardiology rotations and leads several public education initiatives, especially those pertaining to women鈥檚 heart health.

鈥淭o be recognized by my colleagues whom I respect and admire is humbling,鈥� Velarde said. 鈥淚 hope to inspire women in medicine to pursue their dreams and show them that perseverance, hard work and dedication pay off.鈥�

Dr. Velarde has received many awards for her leadership at 萝莉社 and within the community. More recently, she was the recipient of the Leon L. Haley Jr., MD, Faculty Leadership Award of Inclusive Excellence. The award is given to faculty who have exemplified leadership and service in health care and the community by working to reduce health disparities through clinical, educational and scholarly work.