The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of patient populations in Dane County and throughout the world. As our team of physicians, clinical and administrative staff strives to provide the best patient care to the communities we serve, Patricia Téllez-Girón, MD, was recently honored by Time Magazine for her efforts in the Latinx community in Dane County.
Patricia Téllez-Girón, MD
Téllez-Girón appeared in March on Madison’s Spanish-language radio station, La Movida, to answer questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The appearance, originally scheduled for 2 hours, was extended to 3 hours due to popularity among listeners. “Minority communities already have greater health disparities and could be at higher risk during a pandemic,” said Téllez-Girón. Though she provided information related to best practices for maintaining health and safety, many calls touched on subjects ranging from abuse in lockdown living situations to immigration status and programs available for rent support and other financial services. Téllez-Girón was joined by a panel of experts who addressed these issues and provided information about resources.
In a recent appearance on ABC News, Téllez-Girón said Latinx communities are resilient, but this pandemic hit the communities hard because they can’t take advantage of social safety nets like unemployment. “We are on the frontlines cleaning hospitals and working in stores, yet many in the undocumented community will not take advantage of that,” said Téllez-Girón.
A health education advocate in Dane County for many years, Téllez-Girón’s practice is at the Wingra Clinic where more than 90% of her patients speak only Spanish. She is also the chair of the Latino Health Council in Madison and the medical director and main presenter, for the past seventeen years, for a monthly health education Spanish radio program at La Movida.
Téllez-Girón hopes to keep the community informed with additional radio appearances and urges people to seek information on the Consejo Latino para la Salud (Latino Health Council) Facebook page where language and culturally appropriate resources are available including videos about mental health with local and nationwide information.
Related article from TIME Magazine: From Chris Evans to Eboo Patel, Meet 27 People Bridging Divides Across America
Published: April 2020