For UF Health pediatric endocrinologist Angelina Bernier, MD, nothing matters more than ensuring her patients with low literacy or limited English proficiency receive the same standard of health care as their English-speaking counterparts.
Bernier, who received a 2018 clinical pilot award from the CTSI, was recently featured in Doctor Gator, the UF College of Medicine’s news publication, for her work closing the gap between providers and the Spanish-speaking patient population. Her pilot award will support a project, “Evaluating an Innovative Web App for New-Onset Diabetes Education.”
“Anything I develop or create, I do so in both English and Spanish if I can. I feel that Hispanic populations can receive less than optimal care because of the lack of adequate communication on our part,” Bernier said in the Doctor Gator article. “Socioeconomic status can be enough of a barrier, so let’s eliminate language as a secondary barrier to care. I can’t fix financial status, but I can help people communicate better.”
Read more about Bernier’s work and see a video of her educational series on Type 1 Diabetes for recently diagnosed children and young adults.
The CTSI recently opened applications for new pilot awards, with a deadline of Sept. 24. See the application and key dates, including information sessions and studios here.