by Reza Corinne Clifton

Hearing Lourdes Pichardo talk about her family is a lot like receiving a geography lesson on the Dominican Republic. First, Pichardo was born in Santiago – the second largest city in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean nation. The first largest city is the capital, Santo Domingo, where Pichardo spent some of her childhood. She lived for nine years in Tamboril, which is where her father is originally from, and her mother is from a city called Licey, where she also lived for 8 months. 

by Monsurat Ottun

Brandie Ard, DDS is one of the few, young black female dentists in Rhode Island. Though not originally from the Ocean State, Dr. Ard has recently poured her heart and soul into work at Blackstone Valley Community Health Care (BVCHC) Dental Clinic, servicing the underserved families in the Pawtucket and Central Falls areas.

Dr. Ard describes working at BVCHC Dental Clinic as giving her a sense of pride. Beyond being able to serve the patients that the clinic caters to, Dr. Ard has met other dentists through her co-workers, and has become a part of the Rhode Island Dental Association. As part of maintaining an active license, Dr. Ard also continues to get continuing education credit.   

by Margaret E. Thomas

To anyone who knows Kormasa Traub's background it is not a surprise that she is interested in health issues, and in the health of the African community in Rhode Island in particular. According to Traub, she comes from a "family of nurses." You see, her mother is a nurse practitioner, an aunt is a nurse, her father works in a hospital, and her sister is soon to be a pharmacist.