El Paso physician honored as
Catholic Doctor of the Year

TAFP member Andres Enriquez, M.D., has been awarded the 2012 Catholic Doctor of the Year World of Difference Award. The Mission Doctors Association presents this award annually in recognition of the efforts of a doctor whose life and work exemplifies the teaching of the Hippocratic oath and who “has responded to Christ’s call to heal the sick as a member of the catholic faith community and in doing so has made a world of difference.” The organization received 1,400 nominations from around the country and selected Enriquez as this year’s honoree.

Enriquez practices family medicine at Franklin Medical Center in El Paso. He was recognized “for the faith-filled care he provides to his local community,” offering his time free of charge and often making house calls, and also for his work caring for the poor in Honduras and the border areas of Texas and Mexico.

He is an active member of Siguiendo los Pasos de Jesus (Following in the Footsteps of Jesus), a catholic organization dedicated to providing shelter, food, and clothing for the indigent of Juarez, and in 2005 he opened a free clinic near Juarez to serve the poorest neighborhoods in the city. Though violence in the region has influenced his ability to personally staff the clinic, he continues to provide patient care remotely through a nurse.

Enriquez was also instrumental in leading the first diocesan medical mission trip to Choluteca, Honduras, seeing more than 700 patients in three days.

His nominator, Norma Valdez, the director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of El Paso, said, “Dr. Andres Enriquez exemplifies the teaching of Christ by living out the calling of the Roman Catholic Church and the Hippocratic oath.  His actions respond not only to the needs of the poor and marginalized but also to those in most need of his gifts.”

When asked how his faith affects his work as a doctor, Enriquez said, “It brings me full circle in my profession. I see people who are hurting not only physically but also spiritually, people who have lost their way and sometimes are in need of a simple kind word. I don’t have the answers to everything but I know where to look them up and having a strong faith shows my patients that God does care and he is here to help.”

The ceremony was held at St. Jerome Church in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 21.