CLEVELAND — Statistics show that despite Latinos making up almost 19 percent of the U.S. population, less than 3 percent of our doctors are of Latino heritage.
But there is a place on Cleveland’s west side where a group of Latina doctors are bridging the gap to care and making sure that everyone -- regardless of language barriers -- get the help they need.
Dr. Leonor Osorio, one of the founders of the first Hispanic clinic in Cleveland, has been dedicated to helping her patients live healthier lives for decades.
“I started practicing in 2001 -- 22 years ago -- and the Puerto Rican population here in Cleveland really embraced me. The floodgates opened, and I started seeing 30 patients per day. I just felt so welcomed by the community.”
As a Hispanic-American physician, she has have immersed herself in the culture and understand the unique needs of Spanish-speaking residents on the near-west side.
The Lutheran Hospital Clinic focuses on addressing the health needs and the different concerns of patients, which include diabetes, obesity, asthma and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
“I saw that there were a lot of mortality, a lot of morbidity, and people getting amputations and dying young," Dr. Osorio says. "I was thinking that we have great hospitals here in Cleveland, why is this happening?
One of the many barriers? Language.
Dr. Monica Yepes-Rios found that when patients have a primary care physician who understands their culture and language, they have a better patient experience, better understanding of the treatment plan and ultimately lead healthier lives.
“There is nothing like speaking in your language and expressing the words that you’ve known from childhood," Dr. Yespes-Rios says. "How something hurts, the worries that you have and then having someone be able to be able to understand without having to go to an interpreter, it’s just really reassuring to know that they feel comfortable.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey Latinas make up just 2.4 percent of physicians in America.
Dr. Osorio says she wants young girls who feel counted out to know that becoming a doctor is possible -- not just for her, but for everyone that has the heart to serve.
“I want all the little girls, teenagers and anyone who is watching this right now, just to know that you can be a doctor! We need to break the door open. We need more women of color, not just Latinas. Every color. We need to make our presence in the medical community.”
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in an unrelated story on April 5, 2023.