Ricardo Jiménez has worked in Public Health Initiatives (Vida/SIDA) for over 15 years. He participated in the PRCC and helped develop Pedro Albizu Campos High School during his high school years, attending Loyola University. In 1980, he was arrested in Evanston, IL, and charged, along with 10 others, with seditious conspiracy- struggling for the independence of Puerto Rico. He served 20 years in State and Federal prisons, returning to Chicago in 2010, and started working at Vida/SIDA.
Beginning in an entry-level position, Ricardo has been involved in Vida/SIDA’s growth as it expanded its services to serve the entire Puerto Rican/LatinX LGBTQ Community. Ricardo specializes in HIV transmission and treatment, and in 2015, he was recruited to join a national team leading the first intensive Latino HIV investigation in the United States. Currently, Ricardo is the Director of Public Health Initiatives for the PRCC and is a national advocate for Puerto Rican sovereignty, and works to fight homophobia and transphobia in the Puerto Rican/Latino community.
The Puerto Rican Cultural Center’s Public Health Initiative is a community-focused project launched in 1988 with the opening of Vida/SIDA. Its approach combines prevention, treatment, and support services within a comprehensive care model that addresses medical, behavioral, and social factors affecting health. It emphasizes culturally responsive programs that lower stigma, increase engagement in care, and empower individuals to take control of their health and well-being.
