Interim Associate VP for Health Parity and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

Denise Martinez, MD  - denise-martinez@uiowa.edu

Denise Martinez, MD is the Interim Associate VP for Health Parity for UI Health Care and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.  

Dr. Martinez is a faculty member and clinician in the Department of Family Medicine. She brings a substantive skill set to this position. She is currently the faculty advisor for the Student National Medical Association. She also led the charge to create and advise the Latino Medical Student Association and the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, of which both groups are thriving today. Through her work with students, she earned the prestigious Hawkeye Award for Faculty Adviser of the Year for the entire University of Iowa in 2014.

Dr. Martinez lead the University of Iowa Health Care with the implementation and incorporation of CultureVision, a cultural competency software to help create a more inclusive healthcare network for patients. Dr. Martinez has been a champion for cultural competence within University of Iowa Health Care. 

Since her arrival to Iowa in 2008, Dr. Martinez has been an active participant in many diversity and inclusion activities across campus. Her professional interests include cultural competence education, chronic disease management, and women’s health/obstetrics. She earned her B.A. degree in Biology from Seattle Pacific University and her M.D. from Tufts University School of Medicine.