Dr. Rodrigo Cerdá Joins NSC Board of Trustees
Nationalities Service Center (NSC) welcomes Dr. Rodrigo Cerdá as the newest member of the Board of Trustees. Dr. Cerdá has been a long-time supporter of NSC and was the most recent recipient of The NSC Award, given each year at the organization’s signature event, Global Tastes. The NSC Award is given to an immigrant who exemplifies the American Dream, and Rodrigo certainly fits that description.
While his story has been shared previously, it is worthy of note that Dr. Cerdá is currently senior vice president of Health Services and chief medical officer at Independence Blue Cross (IBX). He leads the company’s work to bring health insurers, hospitals, and doctors together to improve access to well-coordinated, high quality, affordable, and equitable health care to the region.
Born in Uruguay, Rodrigo moved to the United States as a child. While the transition was challenging in some ways, Rodrigo thrived in the classroom, quickly displaying his academic gifts. He earned his undergraduate degree from Yale, a graduate degree in Public Health from Harvard, and a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania before completing his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Through both clinical work and advocacy, Rodrigo has maintained his commitment to immigrant communities throughout his career. When asked why he was excited about joining NSC’s Board, he said:
I’m excited to join an organization that is focused on helping our newest arrivals to thrive in the United States. As an immigrant myself, my family and I benefited from many helping hands to help us as we got our feet under us in this country. Especially in an environment where our identity as a nation of immigrants is the subject of heated political debate, it is a privilege to help others as we were helped, and to help this century-old institution adapt and continue to fulfill its important mission. There are few better investments in the future of our communities.
NSC is thrilled that Rodrigo will be bringing his strategic mind and deep knowledge of health needs and health systems to strengthen board-level discussions. Committed to this city of immigrants, Rodrigo lives in Fishtown with his wife and two sons. We know they will be proud to see Dr. Cerdá, with NSC, supporting newcomers as they build stable and sustainable lives in a new city.
