American Cancer Society Elects First Hispanic/Latino President

(On left) Elmer E. Huerta, MD, MPH, new president of the American Cancer Society

Elmer E. Huerta, MD, MPH, has been named the new president of the American Cancer Society, becoming the first Hispanic/Latino ever to serve in this position. Dr. Huerta is founder and director of the Cancer Preventorium at the Washington Cancer Institute in Washington, D.C., one of the few clinics in the United States dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention and control. Dr. Huerta has focused his efforts for the past two decades on improving the lives of Hispanics/Latinos both in the United States and in partnership with the American Cancer Society International Affairs Department. Dr. Huerta hosts several Spanish-language radio and television programs that are nationally and internationally syndicated, sharing information on topics such as cancer prevention and screening with Hispanic/Latino communities in the US and Latin America.