Laura Elías de la Torre, MD

Dra. Laura Elías de la Torre was born into a family with roots in Tucson tracing back nearly three centuries. This history has imparted in her a profound sense of connection to her hometown. She attended the University of Arizona as an undergraduate with plans to become a doctor. Before attending medical school, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana. That experience showed her that the dignity of the human soul is universal. It gave her a spirit of adventure and solidified her commitment to service. Since completing medical school at the University of Arizona, and a residency in Family Medicine in Salinas, California, she has had the privilege of working in a variety of healthcare settings. She served as a family doctor for years in which she was able to build relationships with patients, their families, and the community. She was a medical school professor and administrator, sharing her knowledge and experience with the next generation of physicians. She took on a leadership role as the medical director of a health department where she worked to improve health outcomes in an Indigenous community. She had transitioned to hospital work when the COVID pandemic hit and stepped up to treat people sick with a new disease in an unprecedented time. Throughout these years, she has provided medical services as a volunteer doctor in Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, as well as with migrants from all over the world who find their way to the Old Pueblo. She has returned to outpatient medicine in a clinic setting, ready to build long term therapeutic relationships with members of the Latino community.