Pitt Pediatrics congratulates Diego Chaves-Gnecco, MD, MPH, FAAP, for his recent receipt of an official Proclamation from Mayor Ed Gainey and the City of Pittsburgh honoring his work in developing a welcoming and safe environment for Spanish-speaking residents of the city seeking medical care and healthcare information. 
The proclamation comes from the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) and officially recognizes June 27, 2023 as Dr. Diego Chaves-Gnecco Day in the city of Pittsburgh.
“I am humbled and honored to receive this recognition,” Chaves-Gnecco says. “More than a recognition to me or to my work is a recognition to the program that we created 20 years ago and to all the people who has made it possible and successful, including the Latino Community of Southwestern Pennsylvania.”
The Day also marks the 20th anniversary of Salud Para Niños, originally the first bilingual-bicultural clinic in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Salud Para Niños has since developed into a program that holds three weekly clinics in Oakland, one free clinic every week in Beechview, and another monthly free clinic in the South Side.
Across his career, which began in Colombia and included residency training at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Chaves-Gnecco has consistently used his platform to advocate for underserved and under- and uninsured populations. He has also worked to share important healthcare information with Latino communities in Pittsburgh regarding obesity, diabetes, physical activity, healthy habits, and more recently COVID-19 and its related vaccines.
Chaves-Gnecco’s clinical and academic interests focus on the diagnosis and treatment of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and associated care with their families. He has been named by Pittsburgh Magazine as one of the Best Doctors of the city every year from 2013-present. He is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Divisions of General Academic Pediatrics and Neurology and Child Development.
Chaves-Gnecco also notes his gratitude for the ongoing support from the following: UPMC, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, the General Academic Pediatrics Division, the staff of the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh RM Care Mobile, and community organizations and partners like Casa San Jose, the Latino Community Center, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Birmingham clinic, the University of Pittsburgh Center for Latin American Studies, among many others.
Congratulations on this wonderful recognition, Dr. Chaves-Gnecco.