In Memoriam: Claudia Lacson, Health Care Advocate
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

Dr. Claudia Lacson’s life revolved around her great passion for improving health in poor and underserved communities.

A physician from Bogota, Columbia, Claudia joined the Georgia Health Policy Center in 1999, where she improved access to health care and the health status of populations in Georgia and nationwide. She worked with more than 70 rural communities across Georgia, and was part of a project that spanned rural communities in 37 different states.

“Claudia had an unyielding concern for people in poor health in poor communities,” said Tina Anderson Smith, a senior research associate at GHPC. “She would go into communities with large numbers of very sick people and help them improve their access to health services. A lot of lives were saved because of the work Claudia did.”

Claudia Lacson, 38, died in July of tuberculosis meningitis. She is survived by her husband, Romel, of Alpharetta, her parents, Mariela and Fernando Amaya, of Miami, and a sister, Carolina Amaya, of Miami.

The family requests donations be made to Georgia State University Foundation, Claudia Lacson Memorial Fund for Rural Health at 33 Gilmer St., Atlanta, GA 30303.

– Sallie Barker, GHPC