Miguel Jacquez has spent more than 16 years working to improve the health of Houston’s Hispanic community. Today, he serves as the Health Navigation Specialist for AmistadesHTX at Legacy Community Health, where he leads culturally tailored efforts to break down stigma and connect people to care they might otherwise avoid.

Miguel’s journey in public health began in 2003 in Lubbock, Texas, where he focused on HIV prevention as a Prevention Case Manager and later Director of Prevention Services for the South Plains AIDS Resource Center (Project Recognize). At a time when online outreach was new, Miguel and his team were among the first in West Texas to use the internet and social media to spread positive sexual health messages. They also worked late nights and weekends, meeting people where they were—at parks, clubs, and other community spaces—to offer free HIV testing, prevention tools, and referrals to care. He also launched Recognize, a volunteer street team that brought HIV/STI education to the community in places where conversations about health rarely happened.

In 2008, Miguel moved to Odessa to coordinate Ryan White Services (Part B) with Basin Assistance Services, expanding access to care for people living with HIV. The following year, he relocated to Houston and quickly became involved with local planning groups such as the Latino HIV Task Force and YMpact. These groups collected data and developed prevention strategies focused on the unique needs of Houston’s Hispanic community. During this time, Miguel also worked with the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA), deepening his connection to the city’s Latino neighborhoods.

Miguel joined Legacy Community Health in 2010 as a Patient Educator, where he applied his outreach expertise to clinic-based testing and education. He later connected patients to behavioral health services as a Behavioral Health Representative while continuing HIV community planning with UTHealth. In 2018, he returned fully to outreach testing, focusing on meeting people where they are and removing barriers to care.

When COVID-19 shut down outreach programs in 2020, Miguel faced a moment of uncertainty. “I wasn’t sure what was next,” he recalls, “but I knew the community still needed us.” Out of this challenge came AmistadesHTX, a program he helped shape from ideas he had been carrying in a notebook for years. Through social media campaigns, community engagement, and conversations on topics many Latinos shy away from, Miguel built a platform that connects thousands of Houstonians to testing, treatment, and preventive care every year.

Miguel’s work has never been about titles—it’s about making sure people have access to the health services they deserve. By meeting the community with compassion, cultural understanding, and innovative outreach, he has helped thousands take control of their health. His efforts have not only increased awareness about critical health issues like HIV, mental health, and stigma but have also built stronger, healthier futures for Houston’s Hispanic community.