8
doc • Summer 2015
Kentucky
Ralph Alvarado, M.D.,
Citizen Legislator
By Robert F. Granacher
Jr., M.D. M.B.A.
of Directors of St. Joseph Healthcare. Dr.
Alvarado was a physician representative, and
while he was very interested in politics at the
time, he had not yet been elected to office.
His energy and passion for the practice of
medicine and the attempts to improve the
practice life of physicians were immediately
apparent during our interactions. His energy
offering him a place, and he chose that position over the one from UCLA.
After completing medical school, he decided
he needed a different perspective on medicine. His roommate’s girlfriend suggested
that he look at the University of Kentucky
Medicine-Pediatrics program (her father
was born in Lexington.) Ralph
got a “gut feeling” about Kentucky
when he visited Lexington for
interviews. He matched at the
Dr. Alvarado is a pediatricianUniversity of Kentucky, and the
rest is history. He and his wife,
internal medicine specialist
who is a practicing occupational
I met with Dr. Alvarado recently
practicing in Winchester, Kentucky therapist, had their first child
in the physician’s lounge at St.
at the end of his residency. Dr.
Joseph East in Lexington. I
with hospitalization privileges
Alvarado received financial
learned that he was born and
assistance from Clark Memorial
grew up in Pacifica, California,
in Lexington at St. Joseph East.
Hospital the last year of his resinear San Francisco in the Bay
dency in 1998, and he entered a
area. He and his family later
He is currently a member of the
solo practice in Winchester. He
moved to the San Jose area of
hired an APRN after his first
California. After finishing high
Kentucky Senate, and is one
year and has been the manager
school, he noted that San Jose
of his practice since. In 2001, he
of only three physicians in the
was drastically changing. It
obtained a new partner, and they
was morphing from farming to
Kentucky Legislature.
now have a practice with three
high-tech. His interest and skill
physicians, three nurse practitioin science were fostered by the
ners, and one physical therapistenvironment in which he found
nurse practitioner. In 2002, he
himself as a high school student.
and pursuit of goals is infectious to those
moved his admitting privileges to St. Joseph
around him.
East due to the superiority of neonatal serDr. Alvarado is a pediatrician-internal
vices offered there. His partners have a satelmedicine specialist practicing in Winchester,
Ralph obtained much of his political aculite office at Hamburg in Lexington.
Kentucky with hospitalization privileges in
men from listening to stories from his father
Lexington at St. Joseph East. He is currently
about the local politics he pursued in his
In 1797, Thomas Jefferson wrote to A.
a member of the Kentucky Senate, and is
Campbell that legislators should be “not
one of only three physicians in the Kentucky native country of Costa Rica. His father
left Costa Rica for the United States in
office-hunters, but farmers whose interests
Legislature. He is the first Hispanic per1963 and was sponsored by a University of
are entirely agricultural. Such men are the
son to become a member of the Kentucky
California at Berkley entomologist to come
true representatives of the great American
Legislature.
to this country. Dr. Alvarado’s mother is a
interest and are alone to be relied on for
native of Argentina, and thus, Dr. Alvarado
expressing the proper American sentiments.”
I had the privilege of first meeting Dr.
While farming clearly is not the principle
Alvarado when we both served on the Board has Central American and South American
cultural heritage.
occupation of citizens of the United States
After high school,
presently, it is clear that Jefferson believed
he attended colthat the best political representation for
ITS TIME, NOW!
lege at Loma Linda
citizens was that of the non-career politiUniversity and
cian. Dr. Alvarado follows this admonition
completed college
and was called to politics by the medical
in three years. By
tort reform bills, which came up in the 2003
then, he had decided Kentucky Legislature. He felt he needed to
to attend medical
be more involved in the political process as
school. One hour
a physician in order to make change. The
after receiving his
Clark County Republican cha