Dr. Yvette Colón
Cancer Survivor & Healthcare Equity Advocate
My Mission:
Blending personal resilience with professional expertise to empower others in the struggle for equity in health care.
From Provider to Patient Advocate
Before stepping into advocacy, I had the privilege of dedicating decades to eye care as a director of eye care services and assistant professor in both the United States and New Zealand.
Throughout my career, I focused on serving marginalized communities, addressing complex eye diseases, and mentoring future clinicians on the importance of culturally competent care.
Whether I was teaching or providing treatment, I always prioritized the principles of dignity, access, and compassion, ensuring that every patient felt seen and heard.
My Cancer Diagnosis Changed Everything
I never expected to become “the patient”.
When I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a disease known for its devastating prognosis, I was stunned. My doctors offered little hope. But I fought. And as I moved through the brutal phases of treatment and recovery, I discovered a strength I didn’t know I had.
My experience confirmed what I had already known: how deeply flawed the system I had worked within truly is, particularly for people of color.
My survival came with a mission: To use my voice to advocate for health equity.
Why I Speak Out
Today, I speak up for those who are dismissed, under-treated, and overlooked.
Through my writing, speaking, and community work, I focus on dismantling medical racism and empowering patients, especially BIPOC cancer survivors, to advocate for their care.
I’m committed to making sure no one has to navigate the system alone, unheard, or unseen.
Current Advocacy and Professional Involvement
My advocacy work continues to grow through speaking, writing, collaboration, and public education. These roles reflect the heart of my work: helping people feel seen, believed, and better equipped to navigate a healthcare system that does not treat everyone equally.
I’m honored to serve on the PanCAN Health Equity Committee, where I bring a mix of perspectives as a survivor, former professor, and provider. My goal is to help bridge the gap between academic evidence and real-world lived experience while identifying ways to improve outcomes for people who face the steepest barriers to pancreatic cancer education and care.
I’m also part of Advancing Health Equity Catalyst, a space rooted in honest conversation, shared learning, and meaningful action. Health equity takes more than data. It takes people who are willing to listen closely, name what is not working, and work together to create change that is actually felt in real lives.
Another important part of this journey has been Creatives for Social Change in Medicine. I completed the certificate program in both 2025 and 2026, and that experience gave me more clarity around using writing, storytelling, and creative work as part of advocacy. It also helped shape my decision to begin publishing articles and building a stronger public platform around survivorship, health equity, and patient empowerment.
You can also find me on Instagram at @PurpleRibbonHQ, where I share reflections on survivorship, equity, and what it means to navigate a system that was never built equally for all of us. For networking you can find me on LinkedIN.
Advancing Equity Through National Leadership
Racial disparities continue to shape who is heard, who is believed, and who receives equitable care. My work with the PanCAN Health Equity Committee reflects my commitment to helping change that. As a survivor, former professor, and provider, I bring both lived experience and professional insight to conversations about access, education, advocacy, and patient outcomes.
Racial disparities continue to determine who is heard and who receives equitable care.
Empowering Stories
& Advocacy Tips
Visit my blog for personal reflections, practical guidance, and advocacy tips to help you navigate the healthcare system with confidence and courage.
Book Me for Speaking Engagements
Topics include patient advocacy, health equity, resilience, and surviving challenges.
Join the movement for change.
Let’s Connect
Have a question, collaboration idea, or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you.