COLORADO, USA — A Colorado doctor was center stage Sunday night as he joined celebrities at the Golden Globes.
Dr. Fernando Holguin has spent the last year treating COVID-19 patients – but on Sunday, Hollywood took a minute to honor health-care workers like him.
"This year has been like no other. For those of you who are not in the hospital, you don’t see it every day like we do," Holguin said. "There’s a lot of really difficult, emotional moments being with these patients in the ICU and talking with their families."
Holguin, who usually spends his days treating patients at UCHealth and teaching at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, joined actress Carey Mulligan for a telehealth skit during the awards show.
"If you asked me, 'would you ever see yourself in the Golden Globes?' Of course, never. It’s really quite a lot of fun," Holguin said. "They called me up and from one day to another, I was learning some lines, which I was a little bit nervous about because I don’t do this for a living."
The goal was to give doctors like him a much-deserved moment in the spotlight after their heroics over the past year. Now, it’s back to the day job away from the bright lights of Hollywood.
Holguin is working tirelessly to make sure Latino communities in Colorado have equal access to vaccines.
"I would say this is probably the most important thing I’ve ever done as a health care professional," Holguin said. "We’re trying to really make sure that the vaccination disparities do not continue and that people trust the vaccines which are safe and effective."
Holguin is continuing to work with Latino communities to hold vaccination clinics in neighborhoods and churches around Denver. He said a minute in the spotlight on the Golden Globes was a fun moment away from all the serious challenges we’re facing.
"I think it’s one of those unique experiences in your life that you will always carry with you," Holguin said. "It’s just really great."
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