Alma First

& the kickoff at Rock Health Summit 2024 has begun! We are excited to see what our Alma First Fellows will learn! #RHSummit24 #DigitalHealth #HealthEquity Leslie Avilez | Jhaimy Fernandez, MD |Yesenia Méndez Buenrostro | Brianna Flores | Betty Villantay, MSc

? One year ago, our Co-Founder Dr. Jhaimy Fernandez, and pre-medical student Cynthia Montoya took a simple yet impactful step. Together, they helped a Latina patient with uncontrolled diabetes access her healthcare portal, ensuring she received the care she needed. This small act of connection marked the beginning of something much bigger. ?? Today, with the help of Co-Founder Yimdriuska (Gigi) Magan MD, MPH, CPH innovative curriculum, we proudly stand with three cohorts of digital health equity experts specializing in culturally congruent navigation. Our mission? To foster digital health adoption that uplifts marginalized communities. And now, we’re thrilled to unveil a name that truly reflects our mission and values: ?? ???????? ????????, ????????????!! ?? ???????? ??????????: ?????????????? ????????, ?????????? ??????????. “Alma” means soul in Spanish, embodying our commitment to leading with kindness and heart in every patient interaction. We believe that all digital health companies should embrace this mindset: to design with soul first, with ???????? ??????????. Thank you for being a part of our journey. With your support, we will continue bridging the digital divide and making healthcare more equitable for all. Here’s to the next chapter! #AlmaFirst #DigitalHealth #HealthEquity #RockHealthSummit @RockHealthSummit2024 Vanessa Villaverde Willie Williams Adimika Arthur Luis Belen Heath Naquin Janna Guinen Burgess Harrison, MBA Kameron Matthews, MD, JD, FAAFP Matthew Sakumoto Joy Rios John Moore III Chethan Sarabu, MD Laura I. Gómez Edmondo Robinson Mauricio Simbeck Erik Cardenas Deonta Wortham Luis Emilio Suarez Lalita Abhyankar, MD Yulkendy Valdez (She-Her) Félix Manuel Chinea, MD Adriana Soto Ospina Alison Cerezo Jesus Torres Marvyn Arévalo Avalos Stella Tran Hilda Martinez Luis Emilio Suarez Colby R. Takeda

?? We had a fantastic experience representing the Digital Health Equity Ambassador Program at the 16th Annual Senior Health Fair at the Montebello The Y (YMCA)! Connecting with the community members and sharing insights on digital health equity was truly rewarding. Thanks to Sanarai we were able to offer free initial consultations with a psychologist, providing Spanish-speaking seniors with essential mental health support through their generous discount code. Additionally, we utilized Pear Suite’s advanced care navigation platform to collect and manage information from seniors, helping us to better assist them in navigating digital health resources and overcoming barriers to healthcare access. The feedback we gathered on the challenges seniors face with digital health tools will be instrumental in refining our platform to better serve their needs. Our mission is to make healthcare more accessible, equitable, and user-friendly for everyone. A heartfelt thank you to all the ambassadors, Betty Villantay, MSc, Denisse Nepamuceno, and Lorena Gonzalez, who participated! Your dedication is vital in bridging the digital divide and ensuring that essential health resources are available to all. ???? #DigitalHealthEquity #CommunityEngagement #HealthcareAccess #SeniorHealth #DigitalInclusion #HealthForAll

A heartfelt thank you to Co-founder Jhaimy Fernandez, MD, and Ambassadors Lorena Gonzalez and Alexandra Perez?for attending the Mental Health Fair in #Wilmington, especially in such high temperatures. With Sanarai's support—a #mentalhealth startup—we successfully signed up around 11 community members for a free first Zoom session with Spanish-speaking psychologists in real-time. We provided another 9 with free codes for self-enrollment. We educated and surveyed individuals on their experience using computers/tablets/phones for medical services, such as through #telehealth visits. We faced some challenges, as many individuals needed basic guidance on using their phones and emails and managing passwords, but this experience highlighted the importance of meeting people where they are on their respective journeys and has provided valuable insights for planning future events and anticipating community needs.??? ?? ?? #DigitalHealthEquity #DHEAP

On Saturday, July 13th, our students will take on the challenge of exploring and teaching the concept of Digital Health in both Spanish and English at Harbor UCLA's Community Health Fair. This event is particularly crucial for individuals in underserved communities, where digital health is a new and unfamiliar concept. In these communities, there is a significant gap in knowledge, not only in health literacy but also in digital literacy. Given that technology plays a crucial role as a social determinant of health, this partnership with Delete The Divide is a significant step toward #digitalhealthequity and promoting better well-being in our community while also providing an opportunity to win a laptop through a raffle! Furthermore, the kind donation of 40 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM's) by the Harbor-UCLA Department of Family Medicine will enable our students to effectively teach the concept of digital health. Follow us on our journey for live updates of the event tomorrow!

But wait, there’s more!? Join us today at 11:45 AM PDT to hear from Jhaimy Fernandez, MD and Yimdriuska (Gigi) Magan MD, MPH, CPH, co-founders of the Digital Health Equity Ambassador Program ? Are you curious about the program? Tune in! In partnership with the California Telehealth Resource Center, Dr. Fernandez and Dr. Magan will share their journey, advocacy efforts for digital health equity, and how you can be involved. Their discussion will conclude the CTRC’s Summit 2024 on its final day, and it is an event you don’t want to miss! Register here: https://lnkd.in/gFHfnET9 Use Code DigitalEquity2024 at checkout to have your ticket completely waived ?? California Telehealth Resource Center #DigitalHealthEquity #CTRCsummit

Our students from the Digital Health Equity Ambassador Program had the opportunity to lead a first time ever student-led fireside discussion about their experiences increasing digital health in underserved communities. One of the key components of our culture is turning mentoring into sponsorship. Not just talk about events, bring the next generation with you! We need more than 2% Latinas in medicine and 2% Latinas in tech. Team work makes the dream work and it’s so beautiful seeing them become leaders in #digitalhealthequity Yesenia Méndez Buenrostro Maria Zesati Brianna Flores Betty Villantay, MSc Jhaimy Fernandez, MD | Sylvia Trujillo MPP JD | Willie Williams | Luis Belen | Anita Chu Li, PharmD | Vanessa Villaverde

Yesterday, I had the amazing opportunity to share a platform with fellow pre-medical students Betty Villantay, MSc Brianna Flores Yesenia Méndez Buenrostro at the 2024 California Telehealth Resource Center Pre-Summit to highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion within technological developments of #AI and healthcare implementation. Yesenia reminded us of the existing disparities, where Latinas make up 2% of the tech workforce and 2% of the physician workforce. She offered some food for thought: what percentage of individuals are involved in both tech and healthcare? ???????????? Brianna highlighted the efforts of the Digital Health Equity Ambassador Program at the Harbor UCLA Lomita clinic to increase access to telemedicine usage among the predominately Latino population. Her role as a digital navigator increased patient digital literacy, creating a solution to the barriers patients face to complete in-person visits (e.g., taking time off work to come in, transportation challenges, etc.) ?? Betty was an amazing moderator and provided insights into how #AIbias exists in current technology and its implications for vulnerable populations. ?? As an aspiring physician leader, I will continue improving my public speaking and communication to better equip me for opportunities to use my voice and experiences to bring awareness to digital health inequities. It is crucial to remind ourselves that our voice matters! We bring unique and necessary perspectives to make a difference in how #AI, #telemedicine, and other technological advances can be implemented sustainably and ethically in our healthcare systems! Thank you, California Telehealth Resource Center, Sylvia Trujillo MPP JD, Aislynn Taylor, and the rest of the team for this opportunity, and congratulations on making history! ?? The excitement continues today and tomorrow with even more valuable insights and learning opportunities! Be sure to check them out! Video credit: LORENA GONZALEZ

At the Latinas in Tech Summit 2024 in San Francisco, several profound discussions underscored the intersection of tech, healthcare, and diversity, offering key insights on advancing Latinas' roles in these sectors. ???????????????????????????? ?????? ??????????????????????: Rocío Medina van Nierop shed light on a familiar statistic: only 2% of Latinas are in the tech industry, mirroring the percentage of Latinas in the medical profession. This parallel highlights a significant gap in both sectors, emphasizing the need for continued advocacy and support. Therefore, the Digital Health Equity Ambassador Program has prioritized #premed students to be part of this table (?? ???????????????? ???? ?????????????????????????? ??????????????????!). ???????????? ???????????? ???? ???? ????????????????????: Anu Shukla and Rebecca ?? Clyde from Botco.ai discussed the concept of hybrid models, balancing power and speed to tailor AI applications according to specific needs. In healthcare, for instance, precision and reliability are paramount, especially in areas like insurance billing, where inaccuracies can have significant ramifications. This approach illustrates the customization potential of #AI to meet varied sector-specific requirements effectively. ???????????????????? ???? ?????????? ???? ????????????????????: One of the critical concerns in implementing AI technology in healthcare is the phenomenon of AI hallucinations. In the context of LLMs, hallucinations refer to instances where the AI generates information without supporting data, essentially fabricating answers. In a clinical setting, such inaccuracies can be detrimental. Therefore, it is imperative to establish wraparound boundaries to control AI behaviors to ensure that these tools adhere to the stringent requirements of medical practice and safeguard patient care. ?????????????????????? ???? (??????): Anu and Rebecca emphasized the importance of explainable AI, which involves creating transparent AI systems that provide clear audit trails for all operations. This accountability is crucial in healthcare, where understanding AI's decision-making processes can help ensure accuracy, foster trust among medical professionals, and for patients to improve governance. Could #XAI enhance cultural competence among physicians, assisted by gen AI, by providing clear and understandable insights? ???????????? ?????? ?????????????????????????? ???? ????????????????????: Joanna Pe?a-Bickley's powerful closing keynote addressed the necessity of reflecting on our biases and ingenuity in designing health technologies. Why? Because AI is a reflection of our society, eliminating bias begins within ourselves. This furthermore invites diversity in the workforce to see each other’s blind spots as visibility requires a fresh perspective, thus designing & aligning with the healthcare imperative of "doing no harm." Imagine a tool that could help physicians communicate with #indigenous communities? #premedadvice

I had the incredible privilege of attending the Latinas in Tech Summit 2024 with the Digital Health Equity Ambassador Program in San Francisco. The insightful Her Healthcare workshop shed light on the crucial issue of digital health equity. The panel delved into the digital divide, highlighting the disparities in access to technology and digital resources that can significantly impact healthcare outcomes. The concept of TechQuity resonated deeply with me, emphasizing the need for inclusive and equitable technological solutions that bridge these gaps. As an aspiring healthcare professional, I firmly believe that the integration of digital health innovations, such as telemedicine, wearable devices, and patient portals, will empower individuals to take an active role in managing their health while providing healthcare teams with comprehensive data for informed decision-making. I am thrilled to embrace the power of technology to create a future where quality healthcare is accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances. If you are a pre-med interested in learning about digital health equity, please follow our page Digital Health Equity Ambassador Program and sign up with the link for our interest sheet/newsletter where you’ll be the first to hear about new events! https://lnkd.in/gyYv-QWA #DigitalHealthEquity #LatinasInTech #HerTechHerFuture #LiTSummit2024 #HealthcareInnovation Jhaimy Fernandez, MD Yimdriuska (Gigi) Magan MD, MPH, CPH Josie Rojas MD, MPHc Rosemarie Byrd Betty Villantay, MSc Leslie Avilez Brianna Flores Denisse Nepamuceno Maria Zesati Alexandra Perez Yesenia Méndez Buenrostro