Page 11 - Healthcare Heroes 2025

“Areliz’s
body of work
reflects a
lifetime of
achievement
rooted in
resilience,
faith, and
service. Her
career has
empowered
thousands, not
just through
direct care or
education, but
by inspiring
others to lead,
advocate, and
believe in their
own capacity
to heal.”
HealthcareHEROES
A P R O G R A M O F B U S I N E S S W E S T & H E A L T H C A R E N E W S
She also has an adjunct role
in workforce development at
Holyoke Community College
(HCC), providing support and
training to community health
workers.
“Areliz co-develops
interdisciplinary curriculum
focused on public health,
mental health, and substance
use. She mentors future
healthcare professionals
through a lens of cultural
humility and community
engagement, preparing them
to meet today’s complex
health challenges with
compassion and competence,”
said Terry DeVito, academic dean in
the School of Health & Natural Sciences at Bay Path, one of an
impressive five individuals who nominated Barbosa as a Healthcare
Hero.
“Areliz’s body of work reflects a lifetime of achievement rooted
in resilience, faith, and service,” she added. “Her career has
empowered thousands, not just through direct care or education,
but by inspiring others to lead, advocate, and believe in their own
capacity to heal.”
Up from the Ashes
Barbosa’s career began 28 years ago as a CNA at Jacobi Medical
Center in the Bronx, N.Y. But she said the experiences that shaped
what she wanted to do with her life began much earlier.
“I identify with lived experience. And what I mean by that is, I’ve
For the past
23 years,
Areliz Barbosa
(second
from left) has
coordinated a
program that
provides free
Thanksgiving
meals to
people who
need them.
experienced racial trauma and physical, mental, and sexual abuse.
So a lot of the things that I do now in my roles is advocating and
bringing that into classroom settings, into the curriculum, to better
strengthen students’ knowledge, but also improve the system.”
DeVito agreed. “What distinguishes Areliz as a community health
hero is her ability to connect with individuals while transforming
systems,” she wrote. “Whether she is guiding students, designing
wellness models, or speaking truth in clinical settings, she brings both
empathy and strategy to every initiative she leads.”
Barbosa said it’s personally rewarding to bring a lived experience
perspective into the classroom.
“I feel like my story is a story of resilience, when we choose not to
give up. And it’s not easy to break generational poverty. But being
that person that I wish I had growing up, that gives me the reward.
And also knowing what I’ve been able to overcome, there are lessons
in there — multiple lessons to be shared so people can learn. It
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