Thompson Set To Honor Dr. Raul Vazquez, Founder Of Urban Family Practice, At 37th Annual Nys Annual Black & Puerto Rican Caucus

Local Physician set to receive First-Ever Community Healthcare Award from the Caucus

Albany, NY- Antoine M. Thompson, New York State Senator (D-60, Parts of Erie & Niagara Counties) is scheduled to recognize and present a second award this weekend at the 37th Annual Black & Puerto Rican, and Asian Legislative Caucus. The Caucus takes place in Albany from Friday, February 15th until Sunday, February 17th and contains a host of informative and progressive workshops, seminars, and legislative receptions. 

Thompson’s first award presentation is the Professional Trailblazer Award to New York State Police (NYSP) Acting Superintendent Preston Felton and NYSP Deputy Superintendent Field Commander Pedro Perez. The Professional Trailblazer Award is being given to these individuals in recognition of their accomplishments, as they have become the first minorities throughout the 90-year history of the New York State Police to hold their positions of leadership: number one and number three respectively.

On Sunday, February 17th at 2:00pm in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Senator Thompson is presenting the Caucus’ first-ever Community Healthcare Award to Dr. Raul Vazquez, MD F.A.A.F.P., founder of Urban Family Practice. Dr. Vazquez is receiving the award in recognition of his efforts to provide effective medical service to roughly 10,000 patients and their families within Buffalo’s inner-city communities, many of whom are low-income and/or un-insured. This annual awards ceremony is sponsored by the NYS Association of Black & Puerto Rican Legislators.

Dr. Vazquez opened the doors of his own private family practice on August 5, 1996.  In October 2003, he moved his practice to a newly built, State of the Art Medical Facility also located on the lower Westside of Buffalo at 564 Niagara Street. He is a graduate of Fordham University and University at Buffalo’s Medical School; and also the former President/Co-founder of the Latino Business Owners Association.

Senator Thompson stated, “With symptoms of major diseases becoming less and less transparent, personal health is more important today than it has ever been… I would like to commend Dr. Vazquez and his staff for all of their efforts to provide quality effective preventive care to those that need it most.”