Norma Martinez Rogers

Norma Martinez Rogers is Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio (UTHSC San Antonio) School of Nursing. Earlier in her academic career, she was an Associate Professor at San Antonio College. During her time at UTHSC San Antonio School of Nursing, she was the first and only full tenured Latina Professor and founded Juntos Podemos (Together We Can), a peer-to-peer mentoring program for nursing students that was funded for over 15 years to increase retention and graduation rates, especially among first-generation graduates. During her time at UTHSC San Antonio School of Nursing, she secured over $9 million in funding. A dedicated mentor and advocate for Latinos in nursing, she also founded the International Association of Latino Nurse Faculty, which hosts the Cultural Inclusion Institute, and currently serves as President. She is a past President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, serving from 2008 to 2010. 

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Dr. Martinez Rogers is a lifelong champion for underserved populations and advocate for health policy changes to promote equity. She spent her formative years in public housing and, inspired to give back to her community, she served first as a teacher at Edgewood Independent School District and a caseworker for San Antonio Catholic Family and Children, before embarking on a career in nursing. Currently, she has a $2.5 million Health Resources & Services Administration grant to recruit and engage baccalaureate nursing students to engage in community-based primary care to help advance public health. Appointed by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, she was a founding Commissioner of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) which examines how Medicaid payment affects access to care by Medicaid patients and those in the Children’s Health Insurance Program, among other issues. 

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Dr. Martinez Rogers is an active and engaged leader in her local community and across Texas. She worked as a public health nurse in Austin, TX and as a Director of Nursing at Charter Palms Hospital in McAllen, TX. A former member of the Army Nurse Corps, during Operation Desert Storm she was assigned to the William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss, TX, and served as a Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, where she earned Achievement and Commendation Medals. She collaborated with the U.S. Western District Court of Texas Probation Office to provide a female specific program for women convicted of a federal felon and under community supervision to prevent relapse/recidivism. It was the only female group in the Western District Court. Additionally, Dr. Martinez Rogers co-founded a non-profit organization, Martinez Street Women’s Center, whose primary purpose is to provide support and educational services to women and female adolescents, serving over 12,000 clients. Currently, Dr. Martinez Rogers is the chair of the Board of Directors of Ride Connect Texas, a non-profit that provides transportation for the elderly to access health care. 

Dr. Martinez Rogers was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing in 2006. She earned her PhD in Cultural Foundations in Education at The University of Texas at Austin, an MSN in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing at UTHSC San Antonio, a MA in Counseling from St. Mary’s University, and a BSN from Incarnate Word College. Dr. Martinez Rogers was the first in her family to attend college. She completed two postdoctoral fellowships at the Indiana University School of Nursing.