Dr. Felipe Saavedra (he/him/his) is an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Fellow, whose clinical interests include HIV/AIDS, transgender, and LGBTQ+ primary care. He is passionate about reducing healthcare disparities in vulnerable populations.
Dr. Saavedra was born and raised in Chile, where he graduated from the University of Chile. His passion for advocating for the LGBTQ+ community began as a researcher at an HIV/AIDS specialty clinic in Santiago. After working in primary care, Dr. Saavedra moved to the US in 2015 to join a pre-residency program at UCLA, where he also completed his Family Medicine residency training in 2020.
During his training, Dr. Saavedra educated himself and colleagues on critical healthcare issues that impact LGBTQ+ individuals. He broadened his residency program's impact on Spanish-speaking communities in LA County and consistently advocated for and built bridges to underserved populations.
In 2020, Dr. Saavedra became the first Latinx LGBTQ+ Healthcare fellow. During this time, Dr. Saavedra broadened his knowledge and cultural competency to advocate for LGBTQ+ patients and their families. He helped shape the Early Authentic Clinical Experience (EACE) curriculum, exposing first-year UCLA medical students to various LGBTQ+ topics.
His favorite experience has been working with the UCLA Gender Health Program. As part of this groundbreaking initiative, Dr. Saavedra cared for trans and gender non-binary adults and kids. He co-created and led the first sessions of the Gender Health Resiliency Group, based on the UCLA EMPWR Program. After seeing how positively the program impacted his patients, Dr. Saavedra is passionate about ensuring the group continues in the future.
Starting in 2021, Dr. Saavedra will join Desert AIDS Project (DAP) Health, located in Palm Springs in the Coachella Valley. The knowledge and experiences he gained during the fellowship, along with his bilingual and bicultural skills, will ensure Dr. Saavedra continues to care for California's underserved communities.
Outside of work, Dr. Saavedra enjoys spending time with his husband and exploring Southern California. He also enjoys traveling, volunteering, practicing yoga, and cooking traditional Chilean food for friends and family.