Dr. Jyothi Marbin, the director of the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, has been recognized with the American Pediatric Association’s 2024 prize for Community-Engaged Health Care Delivery. This award honors her 20-year dedication to reducing health inequities and promoting community health equity through her work.
Despite missing the ceremony due to her commitments in Mexico treating children of asylum-seekers, Dr. Marbin expressed her gratitude through a videotaped acceptance speech. In her speech, she credited her on-the-ground partners, the Sidewalk School and Refugee Health Alliance, along with her team of volunteer physicians, for their contributions to her work. Emphasizing her belief in medicine as a tool for justice, she highlighted the importance of pediatrics in promoting community health equity.
Dr. Marbin’s humanitarian efforts were inspired by her daughter Kaia’s concern for children separated from their families. Kaia initiated the Butterfly Effect: Migration Is Beautiful project in 2017 to show solidarity and extend friendship to children at the border. This youth activism project aims to convey a message of welcome and support to all children, emphasizing the universal right to freedom.
Since then, Dr. Marbin and her family have been regular volunteers in Mexico, providing essential medical and humanitarian aid to children in need. Their commitment reflects their belief in the value of community engagement and the importance of advocating for health equity in all aspects of medical practice.
