Oncologist’s dream to establish Spanish-speaking cancer clinic comes to fruition
Key takeaways:
- Twenty-percent of the population in Salt Lake City is Hispanic but very few physicians identify as Hispanic and speak Spanish, according to Maria Borrero, MD.
- The goal is to have patients navigate their cancer journey, from start to finish, in their own language.
Healio spoke with oncologist, Maria Borrero, MD, who is working to establish a Spanish-speaking cancer clinic in Utah.
Borrero, physician in the department of hematology-oncology at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City, Utah, is originally from Colombia. Her background is what ignited her passion for studying cancer health disparities, particularly among the Hispanic population. Borrero’s research efforts during the past decade have focused largely on developing tailored interventions among underserved populations for cancer screening and treatment.
She is now aiming to provide language-concordant and culturally tailored care to the Hispanic community in Utah.
“Working within organizations that are supportive of these types of efforts is so important, and I am very grateful for Intermountain Alta View Hospitaland how supportive they’ve been,” she told Healio. “My hope is that other organizations continue to support these types of efforts, because they truly are life-changing for patients.”
Healio: What prompted the creation of this Spanish-speaking clinic in Utah?
Borrero: My first exposure to cancer was when my grandmother, who did not speak English nor understand the U.S. medical system, was diagnosed with breast and later brain cancer. I served as her language interpreter “patient navigator” and quickly realized the insurmountable barriers patients like her faced.
That experience was truly the catalyst for my career, and I have made it my life mission to make cancer care better for patients like her.
I attended medical school at University of Utah, and during my time there, I had the opportunity to get to know the community very well. I was surprised to learn that 20% of the population in Salt Lake City is Hispanic, and not surprisingly, very few physicians identify as Hispanic and speak Spanish.
I left Utah for the rest of my medical training knowing there was a massive need for providers who could care for that population in their language while understanding the very intricate sociocultural dynamics. I always that if I had the opportunity to work in the state again, I really wanted to be able to build something for that patient population.
When I came back to Utah to interview for a position at Intermountain Health, there was the possibility that I would be working at a new clinic and with that came the opportunity to build something innovative. We are currently in the process of building this Spanish-speaking clinic — trying to find the right resources and working with community organizations to build it.
Healio: What exactly does the clinic provide patients?
Borrero: The clinic will provide a culturally rich experience for patients. Our goal is to create a safe space where patients feel seen, understood and where we can provide the highest level of care possible. Ultimately, our goal is to have patients navigate their cancer journey, from start to finish, in their own language. We know there are delays in cancer diagnosis and time from diagnosis to treatment in the Hispanic community. For example, despite Hispanic women having a lower incidence of breast cancer, they have a higher mortality rate and are more likely to be diagnosed with later stage cancer, in part due to language and access to care barriers. We hope that developing these types of clinics will allow for timelier and more effective care.
One of the aspects of this clinic that I am the most excited about is the incorporation of community health workers to our clinic. Community health care workers are trusted members of the community who act as intermediaries between the patients and the health care system. Their integration to our system will give patients a truly unique, personalized and culturally tailored navigation of their cancer journey. Lastly, we are partnering with community organizations that serve the Hispanic community of Utah to join their ongoing all Spanish cancer support groups and events.
We have clinic staff who also speak Spanish and are in the process of securing more bilingual staff.
Healio: How can other institutions create something similar?
Borrero: Other institutions should continue to expand the field of having health care providers who are bicultural and bilingual. That is needed on multiple levels of not only physicians but also support staff. Other organizations should continue to hire and recruit staff that reflects their population — that’s the first step. Institutions also need to continue to work with community organizations, because they’re the ones that spend a lot of time with the patients, and know what patients need. Being able to bridge that gap is important. Those are the two key steps, having the right staff and then having the right partnership with community.
Healio: What is your ultimate hope for the clinic?
Borrero: My hope is that within the next year we will have an official flagship clinic, and I hope to expand this out to other clinics within the organization. I currently do outreach at a different clinic once per week and it’s an all-Spanish-speaking day for me. On that day, we only schedule patients who speak Spanish, and all of my staff is Spanish as well. My goal is to continue to expand this throughout other cancer clinics within the Intermountain Health system, to be able to provide the best care possible for patients who oftentimes feel left out or that they don’t know how to navigate the system. I want them to be a part of the system and receive care as fast as anyone else would.
For more information:
Maria Borrero, MD, can be reached at mariaborrero.med@gmail.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) @DrMariaBorrero.
Collapse