Mercedes Chacón Porras

{{Infobox person

| name = Mercedes Chacón Porras

| image = Mercedes_Chacón_Porras.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1896|09|11|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1963|04|18|1896|09|11|df=y}}

| death_place =

| nationality = Costa Rican

| other_names =

| occupation = nurse

| years_active = 1925–1963

| known_for = Pioneer of Costa Rican social medicine

| notable_works =

}}

Mercedes Chacón Porras (1896–1963) was the first obstetrical nurse in Costa Rica and spread health care to rural communities throughout the country. In 2002, she was one of the inaugural women inducted into La Galería de las Mujeres de Costa Rica and the first national health center named for a woman bears her name.

Biography

Mercedes Chacón Porras was born on 11 September 1896 in Costa Rica.{{sfn|Guías Costa Rica|2016}} In 1925, Chacón became the first obstetrical nurse of Costa Rica and worked toward providing prenatal care and preventing maternal and infant deaths. She was one of the few professional women working in the health field in the country and strove to bring health services to rural populations within their own communities.{{sfn|Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres|2009}}

Death and legacy

Chacón died on 18 April 1963{{sfn|Guías Costa Rica|2016}} and was posthumously inducted into La Galería de las Mujeres de Costa Rica in 2002.{{sfn|La Nación|2002}} A clinic in Aserrí, Costa Rica was named in her honor, breaking the custom of naming national health centers after men.{{sfn|Guías Costa Rica|2016}}

References

=Citations=

=Bibliography=

{{cite web|ref={{harvid|Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres|2009}}|author=|title=Mercedes Chacón Porras|url=http://virtual.inamu.go.cr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=152:mercedes-chacon-porras&catid=141:galeria-de-la-mujer&Itemid=1521|website=INAMU|publisher=Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres|accessdate=15 July 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715200058/http://virtual.inamu.go.cr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=141%3Agaleria-de-la-mujer&id=152%3Amercedes-chacon-porras&Itemid=1521|archivedate=15 July 2016|location=San José, Costa Rica|language=Spanish|date=2009}}
{{cite web|ref={{harvid|Guías Costa Rica|2016}} |title=Mercedes Chacón Porras: 1896-1963 |url=http://guiascostarica.info/personajes/mercedes-chacon-porras/ |website=Guías Costa Rica |accessdate=7 September 2016 |date=2 April 2016 |location=San José, Costa Rica |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402143339/http://guiascostarica.info/personajes/mercedes-chacon-porras/ |archivedate=2 April 2016 |language=Spanish |url-status=dead }}
{{cite news|ref={{harvid|La Nación|2002}}|author=|title=Mujer con todos los honores|url=http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2002/marzo/08/pais0.html|accessdate=7 September 2016|newspaper=La Nación|date=8 March 2002|location=San José, Costa Rica|trans-title=Woman with all honors|language=Spanish}}