YARIXA LOPEZ

Strong partnerships are at the heart of healthier communities, and Yarixa Lopez is leading the way. As the Community and Stakeholder Engagement Manager at UConn Health Waterbury Hospital and Secretary of the Waterbury Board of Education, Yarixa is a dedicated advocate for health equity and community-driven change. Her work focuses on strengthening maternal and child health through collaboration and culturally responsive partnerships.

Yarixa is especially passionate about building meaningful connections between healthcare systems and community organizations. She finds purpose in bringing people together to support families during some of the most important moments of their lives and to improve outcomes in ways that are both equitable and sustainable.

Yarixa expressed, “I share this recognition with the incredible staff at our Family Birthing Center who do this work every single day, and with our amazing community partner, Waterbury Bridge to Success and their Day 43 Black Maternal Health Initiative. Together, we are committed to ensuring every mother and baby has access to equitable, compassionate, and high-quality care.”

We are proud to celebrate Yarixa’s leadership, partnership, and commitment to advancing maternal and child health. Congratulations to this week’s CHAMPion!