First CHamoru woman medical doctor

Dr. Olivia Torres Cruz (1934 – 2022) was the first CHamoru woman to become a medical doctor. She was a trailblazer who advocated for more accessible medical care and helped to pave the way for more women in medicine. Cruz’s career spanned over 50 years, and she made her mark in nearly every sector of health care, working in the island’s hospital for over 30 years as an internal medicine doctor who often worked in the emergency room. Cruz also worked in public health, in private practice, at Guam Community College, and with the Department of Corrections firefighters.

Cruz was married to Dr. Robert Haddock. They had two children, Michelle and Ray, and five grandchildren.

Early life and education

Cruz was born to Oliva Taitano Torres and Ignacio Alcantara Cruz on 24 October 1934 in the village of Sumay, where she lived until World War II. Cruz was the eldest girl out of nine siblings. She was part of the Flores’ Familian Cabesa, Torres’ Cortez, Taitano’s Queto, and Cruz’s Tuan.

World War II reached Guam’s shores before Cruz’s 10th birthday. She witnessed the island ravaged by war, and survived the violent Japanese occupation and American re-invasion of her home. Like many other CHamoru children, Cruz’s childhood and education were drastically interrupted by the wartime occupation. After the war, Cruz was enrolled in first grade, and undertook a series of exams to work her way back up to the age-appropriate grade level.

From early on in her life, Cruz’s intelligence and motivation distinguished her. In 1953, she graduated in the top 10 of her class at George Washington High School. In the years after World War II ravaged the island, Guam’s top 10 graduating students were offered scholarship loans to study at colleges in the US. Cruz received a scholarship and left Guam to study at the University of Wisconsin. She graduated in 1957 with a BS in Math and Chemistry, and then enrolled in graduate school at the University of Cincinnati. She was accepted into the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania and made history when she became the first CHamoru woman to receive an MD and become a physician in 1962. During this time, it was rare for both CHamorus and for women to become doctors, and Cruz’s persistence and determination made her a trailblazing figure for many.

Impact on the medical community

After graduation, Cruz spent six years completing her internship and residency training in Internal Medicine. She also undertook Cardiology, Pulmonary Medicine, and Emergency Room training. When Cruz returned home to Guam, she began working at Guam Memorial Hospital as an Internal Medicine Physician, from 1968 to 2012, and as an Emergency Room physician. Cruz opened her private practice in 1969, and married Dr. Robert Haddock, the island’s territorial epidemiologist, in the early 1970s.

Legacy and life saving actions

On 28 December 1989, a roller compactor fell from a cliff and into the ocean while working on a construction project for GMH. A worker for Black Construction was thrown 25 feet down the cliff face after he was forced to jump from the compactor, and broke his femur. At the time, Cruz was 55 and working as the medical director for GMH. Cruz was lowered down the side of the cliff, so she could set the construction worker’s leg, before he was lifted up and rushed to the emergency room. For her bravery and lifesaving actions, Cruz was awarded with a Medal of Valor from the Government of Guam later that year.

Cruz was also known as an advocate for accessible and affordable healthcare in Guam.

While she officially retired from the government in 1998, Cruz never lost her passion for medicine and continued working as a part-time doctor at GMH and through her private practice. She received many other accolades for her life’s work, and was also honored by Guam Regional Medical City in 2019 for her many years of service.

Cruz died peacefully at her home, at the age of 87 on 4 March 2022.

For further reading

Daily Post Staff. “A Trailblazer: Dr. Olivia Cruz Remembered.” The Guam Daily Post, 26 March 2022. https://www.postguam.com/news/local/a-trailblazer-dr-olivia-cruz-remembered/article_980aa2be-9b81-11ec-a364-e3179eca50fd.html

Pacific Daily News Staff. “Remembering Dr. Olivia Cruz.” Pacific Daily News, 4 March 2022. https://www.guampdn.com/remembering-dr-olivia-cruz/article_fed862a8-9b8e-11ec-9300-13499a37b64e.html

Pacific Daily News Staff. “Olivia Leola Cruz Obituary.” Pacific Daily News, 10 March 2022. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/guampdn/name/olivia-leola-cruz-obituary?id=33571188